Jim Harbaugh's Chargers get well with road win over Broncos

Jim Harbaugh points instructions to the Chargers as Justin Herbert (10) jogs onto the field in Denver.

Staff Writer

Oct. 13, 2024 Updated 7:04 PM PT

DENVER — Flanked by team medical personnel, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh shuffled to the locker room with his team still on the field against the Denver Broncos.

He strode back onto the sideline midway through the first quarter unnoticed by players who had no idea their coach had been experiencing an irregular heartbeat. After quarterback Justin Herbert laced a perfect third-down throw to Joshua Palmer to extend a Chargers drive, Harbaugh pointed to the field and pumped his fist.

It was as if nothing had happened.

With his coaches and teammates cycling in and out of the locker room, Herbert was the steady force of the Chargers’ 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday.

The quarterback who had been off to the slowest passing start of his career sparked the offense with 237 yards and one touchdown on 21-of-34 passing as the Chargers (3-2) held off Denver’s 16-point fourth quarter to win in the Mile High City for the first time since 2018.

“Hopefully this reminds everybody,” Harbaugh said, “that Justin Herbert’s really good at playing quarterback.”

Herbert and teammates had no idea that Harbaugh missed the first part of the first quarter after the coach reported to the team’s medical staff that he was experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

Medical personnel took his pulse and advised him to leave the field. He received an IV in the locker room and an electrocardiogram from paramedics, who confirmed his heartbeat had returned to normal.

Decades ago, Harbaugh was diagnosed with atrial flutter, a type of heart rhythm disorder, but hasn’t experienced an episode in 12 years. The last one came in 2012, during a “Monday Night Football” game in which Colin Kaepernick passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start.

“Two-and-oh with arrhythmias,” joked Harbaugh, who said he plans to visit a cardiologist Monday.

The Chargers offense got serious in the first half, building a 20-0 lead at halftime with a 21-minute, 13-second time of possession that was not, in fact, a box score typo.

They methodically marched down the field against the NFL’s second-stingiest scoring defense and pieced together a 20-play drive.

The Chargers defense, the only unit allowing fewer points per game than Denver’s, asserted their will with two first-half takeaways and held the Broncos (3-3) scoreless for three quarters.

“When they play good, we play good,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree said of the offense. “When we go out and get them turnovers like we did in the first half, it shows up on their side of the ball.”

The Chargers came prepared to attack through the air as the Broncos lost star cornerback Pat Surtain II to a concussion early in the first quarter.

The team that had been one of the most run-reliant offenses through the first five weeks started with four passes after defensive back Elijah Molden ended Denver’s first drive with an interception.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) looks to pass under pressure from Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40).

Herbert had not attempted more than 27 passes in a game or thrown for 180 yards this season. He surpassed both marks in the first half.

The offense found its rhythm after an off week that allowed Herbert and offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt to rest injuries. Slater (pectoral) and Alt (knee) returned after missing the previous game in which the Chargers rushed the ball 24 times despite just 55 yards while Herbert attempted 27 passes against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Explaining the conservative game plans from previous games, Harbaugh said Sunday “we weren’t going to risk anything” with Herbert as he recovered from the high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 2.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said this week penalties and injuries limited the play-calling opportunities. He promised the offense was only “scratching the surface.”

With just two offensive penalties Sunday and a healthy Herbert, the quarterback felt the playbook opening up as he could more easily roll out of the pocket and throw on the run.

“That adds dimensions to our offense,” Herbert said. “So as long as we’re able to do that, you feel comfortable heading out of the pocket, I think it opens up our play-action game. It opens up our run game. So the more we can do, the better.”

Although thousands of fans already had filed out early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos did start to mount a comeback. Rookie Bo Nix threw touchdowns on consecutive drives, grasping for any ounce of momentum as the Chargers went three-and-out on back-to-back possessions.

After the Broncos used a field goal to cut the lead to seven points with 59 seconds remaining, the Chargers needed to watch a late onside kick attempt swirl out of bounds to finally exhale.

The dominance descended into a bit of indifference as the Chargers still have not scored a second-half touchdown since Week 1.