INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The term "Chargering" started surfacing on social media around the 12-minute mark in the 4th quarter when the Bengals tied things up at 27 with Ja'Marr Chase 17-yard touchdown.
That was mounting a 21-point turnaround after the Chargers jumped out to a 27-6 lead with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
"Chargering" didn't happen, even though they tried. Jim Harbaugh's Chargers held on and won 34-27 to improve to 7-3.
After Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow hit Chase with the 17-yard touchdown, the Chargers' offense went cold. They went three-and-out with some tough drops and throws.
Coming into the game, the main talking point was Jesse Minter's defense because they hadn't allowed an offense to score more than 20 points. There was even chatter that they hadn't played a good offense and would be tested—they were tested.
After giving up the 21-point lead, Burrow led a 56-yard drive of ten plays, but the defense got them to settle for a 48-yard field goal from Evan McPherson, but he missed it.
Another offensive three-and-out.
Burrow comes back and leads them on a 46-yard nine-play drive that leads the Bengals to the Chargers' 33-yard line. By this point, their defense had been on the field for over 30 minutes, but they held them to another field goal. It was a 51-yard miss from McPherson that gave them energy.
Unfortunately, the Chargers offense couldn't get the ball moving, going three-and-out again.
The Bengals got the ball back with an opportunity to win the game and get back in the playoff race. After a 14-yard scramble from Burrow, their defense forced a rare Bengals second-half punt.
Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune
Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws whiles being tackled during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Justin Herbert's offense had only scored three points in the second half, which has been a problem for them all season. Coming out for the second half has been rough on the offense.
The adjustments the Bengals defense made in the second half, putting a quarterback spy on Herbert after scrambling for 65 yards, changed the attack of the offense.
"The guys didn't flinch, didn't buckle, didn't even stumble," Harbaugh said. "They just kept right at it and responded."
Herbert had 45 seconds on the clock with 84 yards to cover. On first down, he found rookie receiver Ladd McConkey down the sideline for a 28-yard completion. They went incomplete on their set of downs.
In the next play, Herbert finds the rookie receiver open for a 27-yard reception to set them up for a potential game-winning field goal attempt with things tied at 27.
McConkey is a rookie but came up big with 55 receiving yards on the final drive of his 123 yards in the game. Herbert was 17-for-36 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and 65 rushing yards.
"There was no flinch," Harbaugh said. "He's just as cold-blooded as anybody could possibly be. It's like, '3, 2, 1, let it go.' And he's on to the next play."
Running back JK Dobbins wasn't thinking of a game-winning field goal. All he was thinking was putting the game away. He was told by center Bradley Bozeman and running backs coach Kiel McDonald one thing: "F-it, go score."
Dobbins followed a pulling Trey Pipkins block, and it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. All he could see was the end zone. He weaved around and found daylight, throwing himself in the end zone.
"I knew I was going to score, like when we lined up," Dobbins said. "I just had a feeling I was going to go score, you know. And that's what happened."
The Chargers running back has been a big part of the offense and proved it again on Sunday, averaging 5.1 yards a carry and two touchdowns.
The game ended on a Burrow Hail Mary attempt, but safety Derwin James batted down the potential touchdown.
The Chargers averted disaster.
Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune
Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs with the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
The national stage saw that Harbaugh's Chargers are different. They aren't the team that will fold under pressure and not finish games.
"This is a different team," Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley said. "It is that simple. This is a different team."
On Sunday, they started off showing their potential, beating Cincinnati to a 27-6 lead. They turned into 58-year-old Mike Tyson with wobbly legs but finished off biting the ear off of the Bengals.
The Bengals' 4-7 record is misleading. They are a good squad with the most high-powered offense in the NFL, but they aren't able to stop teams on defense and rely on their offense, similar to the Chargers under former coach Brandon Staley.
Harbaugh has implemented a culture and belief system in this team. He can say all he wants that the culture and belief system were there before he came, but that is not true.
"Having Coach Harbaugh and having the whole staff, I think, has shifted the culture here," Bosa said.
The longest-tenured player is edge rusher Joey Bosa, who has seen debacles happen firsthand—debacles that make one wonder if things could get better.
"I feel like we have a shot," Bosa said. "It just feels a little different right now. It feels like if we keep doing what we need to and preparing the way we do, not getting comfortable, and just continuing to improve every week, I think we have a shot at something special."
Harbaugh-isms and all of the stuff that he does brings his team together. His "who's got it better than us" war cry is something the Chargers players rally around. It is something out of Ted Lasso.
Bosa is like Roy Kent in the show, and if Harbaugh has him believing that, it means it is possible for them to make a run.
They still have numerous things to clean up. On offense, they need to be more consistent in moving the ball. There were too many drops, and they relied a lot on Herbert in the second half, which hurt them at times. They should have kept trying to run the football with Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
"We have to keep doing a better job of staying focused and executing on third down," Herbert said. "There are a couple balls that I'd love to have back and be able to re-throw. We'll take a look at the film and understand that it's up to us to keep playing."
On defense, they need to clamp down on the big plays, tackle better, and get more pressure on the quarterback. Bosa was asked to play more because Khalil Mack was inactive due to a lingering groin injury.
They took some knocks as a team. Multiple players went in and out of the blue tent, but they held it together.
Ric Tapia - The Sporting Tribune
Poona Ford #95 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates a sack during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Minter's defense proved that it will bend, but even against a top-3 offense in the NFL, it will not break. When they needed them the most, it put it together.
"On offense, we were at our best when our best was needed," Harbaugh explained. "Defense was at our best when our best was needed. Special teams, we were at our best when our best was needed. It's a complete team effort in doing that. But all three phases stepped up and played their best football when our best football was needed the most."
Herbert's offense got them a win that they desperately needed to stay in the wild-card race, win an AFC matchup and stay two games behind a Kansas City Chiefs team that lost its first game.
Everything is in front of them. Coming into this six-game stretch, it is like the SATs and the Chargers have cleared one portion.
The next portion involves facing a tough Baltimore Ravens team, which many believe could be the Chiefs' biggest obstacle.
It will be a good test for a Chargers team that believes in the message from their head coach and quite possibly that anything is possible.
"I've been to this movie a few times, so I know what it looks like," Harbaugh said. There's nobody we'd rather have."