Jim Harbaugh's Chargers start to enter rough waters next week after 3 straight wins

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Jim Harbaugh might have made NFL history on Sunday when he picked a Gordon Lightfoot song to celebrate the Los Angeles Chargers' 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

And yet, given Harbaugh's never-ending efforts to motivate and instill mental toughness in his team, it made sense.

After the Chargers won their third straight to improve to 6-3, Harbaugh had “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” playing in the locker room for two reasons. Sunday was the 49th anniversary of the sinking of the freighter on Lake Superior that claimed the lives of 29 crewmen, and Lightfoot's 1976 folk ballad carries some subtle themes that Harbaugh wanted to reinforce.

Beginning this week against Cincinnati, the Chargers are about to enter the rough seas of a stretch that will determine the team's postseason fortunes.

Harbaugh is hoping his team can continue to be the storm and not the ship over the next six games.

“There’s some (symbolism), but that’s just kind of for us,” Harbaugh said of the tune by the Canadian singer-songwriter, who died last year at age 84.

After facing Joe Burrow and Cincinnati on Sunday night, the Chargers host Lamar Jackson and Baltimore in a Monday night showdown on Nov. 25 that will also be the third meeting between Harbaugh and his older brother John, the Ravens' coach.

December opens with trips to Atlanta and Kansas City, followed by home games against Tampa Bay and Denver.

“Those games just show you who you are, competitively and especially from a mental standpoint. You have the strength of the offense on their side with the quarterback. Just making sure we are clicking on all cylinders,” linebacker Khalil Mack said. “But we can't get too far ahead of ourselves.”

A key to the Chargers' stretch of four wins in five games has been complementary football.

Quarterback Justin Herbert has gone seven straight games without an interception. He's also the seventh quarterback since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, and first since Philip Rivers in 2018, to have a passer rating of at least 90 in each of the first nine games of the season.

The defense — which is allowing a league-low 13.1 points per game — is the fourth since 1990 and the first since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to allow 20 or fewer points in each of its first nine games.

Harbaugh believes this upcoming stretch isn't going to be sundown on the Chargers' success. Instead, he envisions his team on the carefree highway to a postseason appearance.

“I know who we are and what we are. I know our guys are, they’re going to be in the battle rhythm. It's a big challenge this week, but I know our guys are not afraid of any challenge or any new challenge,” he said.

What’s working

The pass rush. The Chargers sacked Tennessee's Will Levis seven times and have two straight games of six sacks or more, the first time Los Angeles has done that since 2006. Tuli Tuipulotu, who had a pair of sacks, has 5 1/2 in his last three games, which is the most in the league since Week 8.

What needs help

Preventing late scores. The Chargers have allowed 20 points in the final minute in their last five games, including touchdowns in the past two against Cleveland and Tennessee. The Bolts are the 13th team since 2000 to allow 118 points or fewer in their first nine games, but had they prevented the late scores the last two weeks, they would be at 104, which would be the sixth fewest since 2000.

Stock up

RB Gus Edwards, who had 55 yards on 10 carries after missing four games with an ankle injury. The duo of Edwards and JK Dobbins, along with a second-half lead, allowed the Chargers to go the run on 39 of 57 plays. The 68.4% run rate was the fifth-highest by an NFL team this season and the most by the Chargers since a 2007 game against Detroit in which they ran on 53 of 75 plays (70.7%) in a 51-14 victory.

Stock down

CB Ja'Sir Taylor was targeted once and gave up one reception, but it was a big one: Calvin Ridley's 41-yard touchdown in the first quarter. That was the first time an opposing offense has scored on the Chargers on an opening drive this season.

Injuries

CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring) and OG Trey Pipkins (ankle) were inactive on Sunday. It was the second straight game Fulton has missed. LB Khalil Mack (groin) was limited to four snaps.

Key numbers

70 — Career sacks for Joey Bosa. His takedown of Levis in the third quarter made Bosa the second player in franchise history to reach that milestone. Leslie O'Neal is the franchise leader with 105 1/2.

11 — Games by Herbert with a passing and rushing touchdown.

1,772 — Career completions by Herbert, the most by an NFL player in his first five seasons. He surpassed Derek Carr (1,759) with a 5-yard completion to Will Dissly in the first quarter.

What’s next

The Chargers have won their last three against the Bengals, including both times when Burrow has been Cincinnati's starting quarterback.

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Joe Reedy, The Associated Press