The LA Chargers desperately needed a win on primetime over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. It wasn't always pretty but the Bolts were able to walk away with a definitive 27-6 win, moving back to .500 in the process.
While the Chargers still have much more work to do with nine games remaining, this win (coupled with the win over the Chicago Bears last week) could truly be a launching point. If the Bolts make a playoff run, fans will look back at this game as the turning point of the season.
It isn't just a turning point because the team came away with a win, it was a turning point because of what the team proved in this game. The Chargers answered several burning questions against the Jets, while a few still remain unanswered.
Can the Chargers win with a subpar Justin Herbert? Yes.
One thing that Chargers fans have been begging to see is the Chargers win games without Justin Herbert being perfect. Obviously, this team is at its best when Herbert is firing on all cylinders but it shouldn't take him being perfect to win games.
Quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes have gotten plenty of help from their defenses in the past. For once, Chargers fans wanted to see Herbert get that kind of help and win a game where he was not at his best.
Herbert certainly was not at his best, which is to be expected against this elite Jets defense. But it didn't matter. Herbert was good enough to make plays when the Chargers needed them while the defense and special teams carried the load.