Charles H. Sloan-'He's driving the bus': Jim Harbaugh effect paying dividends for Justin Herbert, Chargers

INGLEWOOD,Charles H. Sloan Calif. — Few coaches have the track record of quickly turning around a football program like Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh turned a doormat Stanford Cardinal program into a Pac-10 power in his third year. He guided the San Francisco 49ers to a 13-3 record in his first season at the helm and led Michigan to a 10-3 record his first year before ultimately winning the 2023 national championship with the Wolverines.

It shouldn’t come as a surprised that he’s already directed the Los Angeles Chargers (6-3) to their best 10-week start since the 2018 season after a 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans. It was another game in which Los Angeles held its opponent to 20 points or less. The Chargers are fourth team since 1990 to allow 20 points or fewer in each of their first nine games of a season. The team’s six wins are already a one-game improvement from their 5-12 campaign under previous head coach Brandon Staley a season ago.

“He's the best. To have a guy like that leading the team, you know, it shows up,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said postgame. “You turn on the tape, and everyone wants to play for him (and) wants to fight for him. The guys are playing energetic, they're excited to be out there and they're having fun. I think that's the most important thing. He’s done such a great job of preparing us and letting us go play free and fast out there. So, to have a guy like that leading the charge, it's been awesome.”

The fifth-year quarterback said Harbaugh’s brought a tough identity to the Chargers.

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“I think toughness comes to mind. Having an offensive line that does everything they can to move the defense to create room for Gus (Edwards) and J.K. (Dobbins) and those guys to run the ball, and then to have a great play action game where we've got guys on the outside that go make plays,” Herbert said. “They're doing everything we can to move the ball and continue to execute on third down.”

Herbert completed 14-of-18 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee. The Chargers quarterback set an NFL record for most passes completed by a quarterback through their first five seasons during the Week 10 victory. He’s been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Harbaugh’s arrival. The Chargers QB hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2. He’s had a passer rating of above 111 during Los Angeles’ three-game winning streak.

“He's got a huge impact being the head coach. It's games, it's practices, it's meetings. He's done a great job. I just try and make right by him. I do everything that he teaches us and coaches us, and just want to make him proud,” Herbert said. “He’s seen a lot of good football, and as long as we're listening and doing the things he says, you know, we're going in the right direction.”

Harbaugh’s heaped praise on Herbert since the moment he was named head coach. The relationship between the two has blossomed in a short period of time. The head coach even came up with a new nickname to call Herbert following Sunday’s performance.

“I'm changing his name to Beast. Beast Herbert. Half man, half beast,” Harbaugh said. “No quarterback has completed more passes in the first five years of an NFL career than Justin Herbert in the history of the National Football League. That speaks to his greatness, and just to be around it every day is that's what it feels like. Feels like you're around greatness every single day with Justin Herbert, and there's still a long way to go.”

Harbaugh and “Beast Herbert” are leading the way for the Chargers. But it’s Harbaugh who’s galvanized the Chargers franchise and is creating a winning culture in his first year at the helm. However, we should be accustomed to this based on his resume at other stops.

“Y'all feel the culture, y’all feel the locker room,” Chargers safety Derwin James said. “And it's not just some made up thing. It's every day is real, and we trying to just follow behind him. He's driving the bus, and we just follow behind him.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.