Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh have the Chargers moving and grooving with a four-game win streak entering Week 12.
The Chargers escaped the Bengals 34-27 on Sunday night thanks to a rushing touchdown in the final minute from running back J.K. Dobbins.
While there were plenty of moments where it felt like fans were waiting for the inevitable to happen, it simply never came thanks to strong efforts from numerous players.
With the victory, the Chargers will now carry their four-game win streak into this coming Monday and their date with John Harbaugh’s Ravens.
Let’s go ahead and see where the team’s latest win has them positioned in this week’s power rankings.
Sports Illustrated – #8
The Chargers got the absolute best out of the Bengals not only offensively but defensively too. Justin Herbert threw a league high 27.8% of his throws into tight coverage on Sunday night against a very good—for one week at least—Bengals defense. Herbert also dealt with a paltry average wideout separation rating, which was more than a yard below the league leader from Sunday. – Conor Orr
CBS Sports – #9
Jim Harbaugh has this team playing good football. The defense got a little exposed against the Bengals, but they are better than that. – Pete Prisco
ESPN – #9
After struggling with drops as a rookie, there were questions coming into this season about whether Johnston was an NFL-caliber wideout. He has silenced any doubt this season, with a team-high six receiving touchdowns. In L.A.’s win over Cincinnati, he became the first Charger since 2021 to have a receiving touchdown in three straight games. “Honestly, if nobody else believed in me, I still had full confidence in myself,” Johnston said. “It was just a matter of going out and proving it.” – Kris Rhim
Sporting News – #10
The Chargers have Justin Herbert cooking with the downfield passing game to complement their physical rushing attack. In turn, that’s putting the defense in more favorable situations. That’s Jim Harbaugh’s immediate major impact. – Vinnie Iyer
The Ringer – #10
As a native San Diegan, I spent hundreds of Sundays watching Chargers games against my will. And if there’s one thing I learned about this franchise over the years, it’s that they’ll find a way to lose right when you’re ready to buy in. A missed field goal (probably from Nate Kaeding), giving up 35 unanswered points in prime time or blowing a three-possession lead in the playoffs—whatever level of heartbreak you can imagine, the Chargers have suffered it multiple times. As Cincinnati’s offense was cranking into high gear in the second half of Sunday Night Football, I was convinced a similar fate was on the way—and then the Bengals botched back-to-back go-ahead possessions and allowed Los Angeles to escape. Even though this game exposed some serious problems in L.A.’s defense, I’m glad that I don’t have to walk around my city and see the same old long faces this week. – Diante Lee
Bleacher Report – #10
During the first half Sunday night, the Chargers were blowing out the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals came roaring back to tie the game, though. Were it not for a pair of missed field goals, the Chargers may well have lost.
But those kicks sailed wide, running back J.K. Dobbins punched in the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left, and the Chargers are quietly a 7-3 team in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt.
While speaking to reporters after the victory, quarterback Justin Herbert applauded his team for hanging in there after the lead evaporated.
“The defense did a great job getting stops and they got us the ball back when we needed it,” Herbert said. “We knew we had to go make a play. It came down to the final drive. Ladd (McConkey) made a couple big catches and J.K. with that huge run. Props to the guys for sticking through it.”
It was a big win, but there’s no rest for the Chargers. After a Monday night game next week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Bolts hit the road to take on two division leaders, including their second meeting of the year with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Analyst’s Take
These Chargers are different. These Chargers didn’t find themselves Chargering late in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals almost pulled off the biggest second-half comeback in franchise history. But Herbert, McConkey, and Dobbins didn’t let it happen thanks to a strong game-winning drive with less than a minute remaining.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh is changing the attitude in the Chargers locker room. This squad earned its 7-3 record. It’ll be a difficult out for the rest of the season. – Brent Sobleski
USA Today – #11
Sunday night saw their best offensive performance of the season … and worst showing on defense. But teammates pick one another up and vanquishing Cincy gives the Bolts a near-ironclad grip on a wild-card berth. – Nate Davis
New York Post – #11
Pro Football Talk – #11
Could they catch the Chiefs for the division title? – Mike Florio
Yahoo Sports – #11
The Chargers tried hard to blow Sunday night’s game after getting a 21-point lead. We’ll just remember that they won it. The Chargers are up to a 93% chance to make the playoffs, via DVOA. – Frank Schwab