Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL was a winning one.
The Chargers trailed the Raiders 7-6 at halftime, but they scored the only touchdowns after halftime and emerged from the opener as 22-10 winners over their divisional rivals. It was a stark change from the 63-21 loss to the Raiders that led to Brandon Staley’s firing late last season and a sign of the changes that Harbaugh has brought to the franchise even if the coach downplayed the impact that he’s had since being hired.
“The culture’s already here. Me and all the new guys, we stepped into it,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “We’re the lucky ones. The culture here is work.”
While Harbaugh ceded the spotlight, it wasn’t hard to see the changes in the Chargers. They ran for 176 yards, didn’t turn the ball over and kept the defensive pressure on the Raiders for the entire contest. Those weren’t hallmarks of the last few seasons, but they are things Harbaugh’s teams have tended to do and Sunday’s win likely set a tone the team will look to keep in place for the rest of the season.