National Football League

Jim Harbaugh must turn Chargers into closers to build championship team

Published Feb. 21, 2024 1:54 p.m. ET

Both Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz opened their introductory press conferences with promises of multiple Super Bowl titles, but the team's prized quarterback, Justin Herbert, has not won a playoff game in his four-year NFL career.

Are the Chargers putting too much pressure on the Oregon product? Harbaugh doesn't think so.

"He's as good as they get in the National Football League," Harbaugh said in a recent conversation with Colin Cowherd on "The Herd." "He's the crown jewel in every way. He's got it. He's tough. He's got the arm talent and leadership. In just games he's played, I've marveled watching him."

It's Harbaugh's job to get Herbert and the Chargers playing at a championship level. And he can start by teaching his new quarterback and team how to close out close games in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers finished 0-7 last season in games decided by three points or fewer. According to FOX Sports research, the Bolts and Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) were the only winless teams in such games in 2023.

Over the past three seasons, the Chargers are 15-19 in one-score games, No. 24 in the NFL with a .441 winning percentage.

During his four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, Harbaugh finished 23-11-1 in one-score games. His .671 winning percentage in one-score games was No. 1 in the NFL over that stretch, according to FOX Sports research.

Led by offensive coordinator Greg Roman, San Francisco controlled the tempo of games by creating balance on offense, taking pressure off the quarterback by running the football. San Francisco finished in the top 10 in rushing yards all four years Roman led the offense for the 49ers.

Harbaugh, who has hired Roman as the Chargers' OC, said it's important to protect Herbert by playing good defense, running the football and not putting everything on the QB to carry the offense.

Jim Harbaugh lays out blueprint for Justin Herbert, Chargers

"We want to be strong, physical, tough," said GM Hortiz, who came from another strong running team in the Baltimore Ravens. "We want to develop a really good run game. You build a great run game and a great offensive line. And then you protect your quarterback.

"I've seen it done year in and year out, where I came from. You help him by supporting him with players that help the entire offense. Certainly, we have some skilled receivers that are already here and good players that are already here, but we just want to create a competitive environment in all the positions around him so that we're at our best at all times."

Herbert also must play winning football down the stretch of big games. Yes, he does have 11 comeback victories to his credit. However, Herbert has a 90.5 passer rating and has thrown a league-high 17 interceptions in the fourth quarter since entering the league in 2020. He's also been sacked 33 times in the fourth quarter, tied for 10th most during that stretch.

Providing some consistency and stability in scheme for Herbert will be key for Harbaugh. Roman is Herbert's fourth different offensive coordinator.

Dating back to his college days at Oregon, Herbert has had eight different offensive coordinators, so not having to relearn a system every offseason would be a help in an upward trajectory and playing winning football in critical moments of the game.

"It goes into the offseason program when you show up in April and you've got a sense of comfort," Herbert said last month when asked about the importance of continuity. "You know that you've been through this. We know what we're talking about, so let's expand upon the things we do well. Let's expand upon the things we know. And here are some things that we did last year that maybe we need to change or address.

"I think having that framework of football and having that 17 games of film to go back and look at, I think that's really helpful for an offense."

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It will be up to Harbaugh and Roman to create that comfort level for Herbert and the rest of the offense this offseason, so the Chargers can hit the ground running in a competitive AFC West that includes the two-time defending Super Bowl champs in the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Our goal is to build a winner every year," Hortiz said. "We want to compete to win a championship every year, OK? That's going to be starting now. That's not going to be, ‘Let's gut it and start over.' Those are the decisions: What balance of players gives us the best opportunity to go out there and compete this year?

"We know who we're trying to be and we're gunning — we're going in that direction. We're not mailing in a season, no way. We're going to try to win this year, but you make the right decisions and the best decisions that give us flexibility this year and going forward."

But before the Chargers can win a championship, they have to start winning the close games.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.