John Harbaugh, the elder brother, has a 3-0 record over Jim in head-to-head NFL coaching matchups. But history, it turns out, is a tricky business. The past doesn’t always predict the future, especially not in a league that turns over on a dime. The thing is, as the Los Angeles Chargers march toward Week 3, the old narrative feels like it’s starting to crumble.

On the latest episode of the Dan Patrick Show, the host asked Scoop City‘s Chase Daniel if he’d take the Bolts over the Ravens right now, head-to-head. The answer came back with stunning clarity. “I would take them over the Ravens “because of defensively how they’re doing and at this specific moment how Justin Herbert is playing,” Daniel declared. It’s not just a hunch; it’s a testament to a shift in the tectonic plates of the AFC.

Herbert, the quiet, almost impossibly talented QB, has transformed. “I think Justin Herbert’s a new person and a new man,” Daniel continued. “He’s dating Madison Beer. He’s got all this Hollywood… it’s a completely different Justin Herbert than I’m used to, and I like that he’s gotten out of his shell.” He’s no longer the shy kid from Oregon; he’s a “football dude,” as Daniel put it, with a newfound confidence that has him cooking on the field. The stats back it up, too.

Through two games, Herbert is 3rd in the league with 560 passing yards and tied for third in TDs with 5 to his name. His 127.8 passer rating is the second-highest among starters, proof that the man is, in fact, different. The offense, work in progress for so long, has finally started to click.

Rookie Omarion Hampton’s late fumble in Week 2 was a momentary blip, but the overall trajectory is up. WR Quentin Johnston, once a source of frustration, has finally taken the “next step,” snagging 8 receptions for 150 yds and 3 TDs, averaging a robust 18.8 yds per catch.

And the return of veteran Keenan Allen with his 12 receptions for 129 yds and 2 TDs is, as Daniel put it, “so important.” The secret sauce, it seems, is quarterback coach Shane Day. “I’m telling you, is the secret sauce of this because him and Justin work so well behind the scenes together,” said Daniel. That synergy, that unseen rapport, is what translates to results on the field.

Jim Harbaugh’s defense shines

And then there’s the defense. The one that, despite losing Khalil Mack to an elbow injury early, still clamped down on the Raiders in Week 2. It’s “one of the best scoring defenses in all of football,” according to Daniel. 

Before Jim Harbaugh arrived, the Chargers’ defense was allowing 24.4 points per game. But last season, they registered themselves as the first team since the ’93 Giants to move up from 24th or worse in scoring defense to the very top, allowing just 17.7 points per game. And this season, they stand third, having allowed an average of just 15 points per game over two weeks.

The Raiders’ Geno Smith was picked off three times, once by LB Daiyan Henley, who also had a sack and two tackles for loss. The Bolts, currently at 2-0 and alone atop the AFC West, are looking to win their first division title since 2009. They have an all-time playoff record of 12-20, and a win this season is exactly what they need to turn things around. They have not had a non-Chiefs team win the division since 2015.

So, here they are, at SoFi Stadium, getting ready to host the Denver Broncos, coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Colts. “I felt like it slipped away from us,” Broncos QB Bo Nix lamented after his team’s loss. The Broncos’ own offensive struggles are a counterpoint to the Chargers’ recent success, as Nix has thrown 3 INTs to just 4 TDs on the season.

It’s been a long time since the Chargers felt this way. The feeling that something big, something genuinely new, is happening. It’s a feeling that Jim Harbaugh, the brother who has been in the shadow compared to John, has finally earned the right to stand on his own.