Chargers use 2nd-half surge to...

Jim Harbaugh spent nine seasons away from the NFL. It takes much less time than that for the NFL to completely turn over. The personnel had almost totally changed since Harbaugh went to Michigan. Schemes evolved too as coaches moved in and out. It should have taken at least a season to readjust to the pros.

But through all of that change while he was at the college game, one thing remained constant: Harbaugh knows how to coach.

Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers didn’t clinch a playoff spot with a 34-27 win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. They’d need a little bit of help on Sunday to do so in Week 16. But it’s getting closer. The Chargers fell behind 21-10 to the Broncos, who are likely also heading to the playoffs, but kept battling. Harbaugh helped his team by getting a fair catch free kick, invoking a seldom-used rule at the end of the first half. The defense tightened up, the offense started moving the ball and the Chargers came back for the victory.

Harbaugh returned to the NFL after winning a national title at Michigan and took over a Chargers team that had talent but plenty of holes and seemed like a less-than-perfect fit for his style. They’re 9-6 with two regular-season games to go and likely at least one more in the postseason. The main lesson is Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in football, regardless of what level.

Rare NFL play in the 1st half

The Chargers struggled last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowing 40 points, and that continued to start Thursday night’s game.

The Broncos scored three touchdowns in the first half. Denver QB Bo Nix had two passing touchdowns and Audric Estime ran for another. When Chargers QB Justin Herbert threw an interception in Broncos territory in the final minute of the first half, it seemed the Broncos would go into halftime with a 21-10 lead. But the Broncos weren’t able to run out the rest of the first half and punted in the final seconds. They had a fair catch interference penalty called, and the 15 yards from it led to Harbaugh utilizing a rarely used rule. He had kicker Cameron Dicker try a fair catch free kick with time expired in the half, and Dicker hit it from 57 yards out. It was the first made fair catch free kick in the NFL since 1976. The last time a team even tried one was 2019.

That cut the Broncos’ lead to 21-13 going into halftime. The Broncos shouldn’t have been anywhere near the returner to get a penalty, and punting it out of bounds would have been a better strategy. It cost Denver. It’s hard to say that momentum for the Chargers carried over right to the second half, because the Broncos got a field goal on the first possession after halftime, but the extra three points certainly helped the Chargers stay in it. And then they started playing like the Chargers have for most of Harbaugh’s first season.

Chargers take lead in 4th quarter

The Chargers started to warm up in the second half. They scored on Gus Edwards’ second touchdown run of the night, then Herbert had a great throw rolling to his left as he fell down, hitting a dart to Derius Davis for a 19-yard score. Josh Palmer made a fantastic juggling catch for the two-point conversion and the Chargers led 27-24.

The defense that was shredded by the Buccaneers last week in a 40-17 loss and in the first half by Denver suddenly found some much-needed answers. The Broncos had three touchdowns before halftime and didn’t get a touchdown after it. Nix went from a comfortable quarterback to looking more like an inconsistent rookie. Denver head coach Sean Payton didn’t have a great second half either, punting twice near midfield, including once with less than five minutes left on a fourth-and-5. After that poor decision to punt, Herbert had a first-down run on third-and-10, Edwards broke a 43-yard run and then Herbert shoveled a check-down pass to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard score. That’s why punting was the wrong move.

The Chargers can clinch a playoff spot on Sunday with a Dolphins loss or tie coupled with a Colts loss or tie. It probably doesn’t matter. At some point in the next couple weeks, the Chargers should clinch a wild-card berth. And it seems like just the beginning of good things for Harbaugh and the Chargers.