5 major observations from Chargers' win in Jim Harbaugh's NFL return

2. The Chargers offensive line plan worked

It was not as pretty in the first half. With a true lack of any elite weapons on the offensive side of the ball who can create separation quickly, the Raiders were able to send the house at Justin Herbert and play cover zero behind the front seven.

This gave Herbert no real options to do anything with the offense. The ball would have had to come out in a snap of the fingers and there were no throwing lanes for this to happen. Sure, there were a few missed guys Herbert had in the first quarter but for the most part, he had pressure in his face before he could make a decision.

That changed in the second half. Something the team did, whether it was a fired-up pep talk to the offensive line or a schematic change to counter the Raiders' defensive game plan, worked. The offensive line was not perfect, but it held up in the second half.

If that version of the Chargers offensive line shows up more often than not then Herbert is going to have arguably the best line of his career. There are very few teams, if any, who have as talented of a defensive front as the Raiders and the Chargers were able to take that defensive front out in the second half.

Most impressively, rookie right tackle Joe Alt passed his test against Maxx Crosby with flying colors. In 11 one-on-one matchups against the All-Pro edge rusher, Alt allowed a grand total of zero pressures. That is not a typo. Zero.

3. The Chargers can actually win without an A+ game from Justin Herbert

The problem in years past is that the Chargers were so reliant on Justin Herbert playing at an elite level to win games. Herbert is obviously a great quarterback and is one of the best in the league but he is human. He can not be a superhero every single Sunday.

Week 1's win proved that with Harbaugh running the show, the Chargers no longer need a Herculean effort from Herbert to win games. Granted, there will be games against tougher opponents where Herbert ups his game but it is nice knowing that the franchise QB can have an off day and still get the job done.

Herbert is now 21-0 as a starter in games he finished when his defense allowed fewer than 20 points. The only time the Chargers have ever lost a game Herbert started where the defense allowed fewer than 20 points was last season when he hurt his finger at halftime and was removed from the game. As a full-time starter, he is undefeated when his defense shows up to play.