NFL world reacts to stunning Chargers 3-0 start, ‘they don’t win that game before Jim Harbaugh’

Chargers fans’ reaction to win over Broncos and 3-0 start, as the team is now considered ‘officially different’

The AFC West was a focal point of the offseason, with many claiming the Kansas City Chiefs’ days were numbered in 2025. The level of competition continues to improve around them, and we saw that on full display in the Week 3 matchup between Justin Herbert and Bo Nix.

The LA Chargers took a lead in their Week 3 matchup against the Broncos, which was pinned as one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend.

They’d held Bo Nix and the Broncos offense to zero points for the majority of the first half, hoping to take a 10-0 lead into the locker room at the break.

Instead, they gave up a 52-yard deep ball between coverage to Courtland Sutton, resulting in a touchdown that fired Denver right back into the matchup.

The Broncos then scored again within moments of the third quarter starting, and all of a sudden, Herbert and the Chargers were chasing the game.

Things were quickly getting away from Harbaugh’s team, having given up touchdowns on back-to-back drives and then fumbling on the kickoff that followed to give the Broncos the football in plus once again.

An exchange of field goals brought the game to 20-13 late in the fourth, and Herbert had been under pressure in the pocket in the second half.

With a hand in his face, Herbert threw a strike to Keenan Allen to tie the game. They locked in, got the football back late, and put together the drive that culminated in Cameron Dicker’s field goal to win it as time expired.

Chargers fans couldn’t believe their team had rallied the way they did, and they were quick to credit Jim Harbaugh for turning the franchise around.

One fan and Chargers podcast host, Alex Insdorf said:

“The Chargers don’t win that game before Jim Harbaugh. That’s a culture win to dig that deep after they were on the brink of going down two scores. This team is officially different.”

Another fan said:

“I was not raised with a Chargers franchise that closes games in the fourth quarter. They’ve buried the Chiefs and snatched the game away from the Broncos. Harbaughing>>>Chargering”

Many echoed the same sentiment, claiming that the team would not have won that game without Harbaugh in charge.

Justin Herbert was also credited for his role in the win, having been under duress for the majority of the game, before leading two crucial drives in the fourth quarter.

A fan wrote:

“Justin Herbert was getting battered the entire game and on the two biggest drives he found the magic. Insane resilience. Incredible toughness, incredible quarterback and an incredible kicker. Chargers are 3-0.”

And calls are being made for an early MVP favorite too:

“Justin Herbert willed the Chargers to victory today. He made an absurd amount of high level throws with a makeshift OL. MVP candidate.”

The Chargers are now the team to beat in the AFC West, with a two-game lead and an unbeaten record

The AFC West is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this season, with incredibly talented head coaches leading all four teams.

The Kansas City Chiefs were expected to have more competition than ever this season, and the LA Chargers are now quickly emerging as the greatest threat to their nine-year run as division champions.

The Chargers are now 3-0, two games ahead of the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos, who are all sitting at 1-2. Not only that, but the Chargers have beaten the two most playoff-ready teams among the three once already, giving them a significant advantage early in the year.

Harbaugh’s team added a lot of young talent this offseason and appears to have a very bright future for years to come.

There’s a lot of football to be played in 2025, but this Chargers team looks the most prepared to make a playoff run that it has been since they were in San Diego in the late 2000s. Jim Harbaugh has turned the franchise around, and they’re going to be dangerous.