Nights like Monday show exactly why Jim Harbaugh is obsessed with winning, no matter how ugly it looks. After a chaotic 22-19 overtime victory against the Eagles pushed the Chargers to 9-4 and solidified their playoff positioning, Harbaugh went over the top in his praise, joking that he’d put the win “in the discussion of the birth of my seven children — my marriage,” via Jeff Skversky. It was dramatic, sure, but given what his quarterback endured, not totally off base.
As John Clark highlighted on X, “Justin Herbert was pressured on over 68% of his drop-backs, and the Chargers still won. It’s one of the highest pressure rates for any quarterback over the last 10 years for Next Gen Stats.”
Herbert played with a surgically repaired non-throwing hand and still spent most of the night dodging free rushers and absorbing punishment from an Eagles front that racked up seven sacks.
The stat line reflected the struggle: 12-of-26 passing for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception, plus 66 rushing yards and a lost fumble on a strip sack. But when it mattered, he strung together a game-tying drive at the end of regulation and then marched LA into range for the go-ahead field goal in overtime.
The game itself was a mess on both sides. Los Angeles and Philadelphia combined for eight turnovers, including six in a wild second quarter that felt more like preseason chaos than a primetime showdown.
Jalen Hurts melted down even more than Herbert, tossing four interceptions and committing a bizarre two-turnover sequence on a single play. The Chargers didn’t exactly dominate, but they punished just enough of those mistakes to stay alive and steal the result late.
After the final interception sealed it, the emotional release was obvious. Cameras caught Harbaugh storming toward Herbert and letting out what can only be described as a Tarzan scream, a raw mix of relief and adrenaline directed right at his quarterback.
For a coach who lives on intensity and a passer who just survived one of the most miserable protection nights any QB has seen in a decade, it felt like the only fitting celebration. This wasn’t a statement win in style, but it was the kind of trench-fight victory that can harden a team’s belief heading into December.
