Chargers' win proves they aren't the same old Bolts all thanks to Jim Harbaugh

It felt like every other heartbreaking LA Chargers loss... until it wasn't. Whether it was because of tangible coaching or by the graces of the football gods, the Chargers rewrote their narrative with a nail-biting 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football.

Many variables are in play but there is one massive difference in this Chargers team from teams of years past: Jim Harbaugh. For the first time since Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers have a head coach they can be proud of. And on Sunday night, it made a difference.

The Chargers did everything in their power to blow a 27-6 third-quarter lead and pull out a classic Chargers loss. But the Bengals did even more to lose. When the dust ultimately settled, the primary takeaway was obvious: Harbaugh's Chargers are different.

Chargers continue rewriting their narrative with Jim Harbaugh as head coach

It looked like it was going to be an early Sunday night for Chargers fans until the Bengals woke up. A banged-up Chargers defense started to show cracks against the best defense it has faced this season while the Chargers' offense came to a staggering halt behind a bad second half from Justin Herbert.

The Bengals certainly had their chances to take this game from the Chargers. Evan McPherson missed two consequential field goals late in the fourth quarter. Joe Burrow, while playing great, missed several throws that could have tilted the outcome of the game. The Bengals pulled a Chargers, while the Chargers finally broke through when it mattered most.

It may not have been a perfect game and the outcome does not negate any of the worries about this team. Herbert needs to be better in the second half and the defense might not be as elite as previously conceived.

However, Sunday night proved that even when things are going wrong, the Chargers have the right captain to guide the team out of the turbulence. Under Brandon Staley, Anthony Lynn, or Mike McCoy this team would have crumbled at the first sign of pressure.

Under Harbaugh, the Chargers fought and fought and fought until the Bengals finally gave in. J.K. Dobbins' game-winning rushing touchdown was much more than a clinching trip to the endzone; it was a metaphorical break from the Chargers of old.

The Chargers of old are gone. Losses will happen, and there will be games the Bolts lose that they should have won. However, Jim Harbaugh has brought faith back into a Chargers fanbase that no longer has to expect a heartbreaking loss every single week.