Chargers have one more step to proving they are elite: The Harbaugh Bowl

It looked like it would be a truly special night for the LA Chargers when the team took a 24-6 lead into halftime in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

And then Joe Burrow staged what was looking like a comeback for the ages.

Virtually every Chargers fan believed the game would play out like so many have before — with the Bolts “Chargering” the game away. Instead, something unexpected and magical happened in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers survived Cincinnati’s comeback, the defense locked down, Justin Herbert (who seemed unable to find a receiver to save his life during the entire second half) made clutch throws and running back J.K. Dobbins put the game on his back, found the endzone, and won the game.

There would be no “Chargering” this game for the Bolts on Sunday night in Los Angeles. With a nailbiting win over the Bengals, the Chargers are now halfway to proving they are truly elite.

To become elite, the Chargers must own the Ravens in the “Harbaugh Bowl”.

The critics will point out that the running game was largely non-existent during the second half for the Bolts. They will point out that for most of the second half, one of the worst defenses in the league kept Justin Herbert from the endzone while making him look like an average quarterback at best. These critics will be right, yet it didn’t matter.

The critics will also point out that despite “Chargering” a game of their own in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens are a far better team than the Cincinnati Bengals. The argument will be that Lamar Jackson provides more unique match-up issues for the Bolts' defense than Joe Burrow and company did.

These critics will point out that Bengals running back, Chase Brown exposed Jesse Minter’s defense on a night when Khalil Mack did not play and Derrick Henry is a far better and more dangerous back. They will point out that the Ravens' defense, as bad as they are this season, is infinitely more dangerous than the one that the Bengals put on the field on Sunday. And they will point out that Jim Harbaugh has never beaten his brother as a coach in the NFL.

These critics will be right, the question is: will it matter?

We are about to learn the answer. Sunday’s game provided a lot to like for a fan base that is hoping to become a real threat in the NFL. And the game provided a lot to worry about for a team that saw an 18-point lead vanish seemingly in the blink of an eye. That’s the point: the Chargers did get a win when they used to lose those games.

In many ways, the Baltimore Ravens provide a much tougher challenge for the Chargers than the one they just survived on Sunday Night Football. But that is life in the NFL. Sometimes, nights are magical and then vanish as quickly as they appear. To beat the Ravens, this team will need to be better than they were on Sunday and they must find that magic once again. If they do, the critics will begin to shut up.

The NFL world opened their eyes in a big way on Sunday, now it’s time to leave no doubt. If the Bolts beat the Ravens in the “Harbaugh Bowl”, the league will have to contend with a dangerous reality: the Chargers are for real, and they are elite.