Justin Herbert is why the Chargers can live up to the hype

Those are the plays that make it easy to dream on Herbert and his upside, because there are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league capable of doing things like that. 

The big moments and the efficiency are the big improvements

While Herbert has always had the ability to make highlights, he has not always had the consistency to be a totally efficient player, and he has not always made the big plays in the big moments. 

His only two playoff appearances saw the Chargers blow one of the largest postseason leads ever in one game, and then him have a total turnover-filled meltdown in the other. He's thrown big interceptions, he's struggled to make plays when it matters most, and he's struggled to do it week in and week out. 

The big change so far this season is that all of those things are actually starting to come together for him.

He has not only played the position like the incredible athlete that he is, but he's also played it with the type of command and efficiency that championship-contending teams need. He has played relatively mistake-free football, having thrown just one interception through the Chargers' first three games. He has also made huge plays in clutch moments, leading two late scoring drives on Sunday, and making big plays late to help close out the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the season. 

The combination of Herbert's improved play and Jim Harbaugh's defense has put the Chargers in a great position in the AFC West. Not only are they already up on every other team, but all of their wins have come within the division. They already have the upper hand on that race. Now it is on them to do something they have not always been able to do — finish the job and take advantage of it.