It’s time for the world to talk about the Chargers

Nobody is talking about the Los Angeles Chargers. And I’m not surprised.

Despite their 7-3 record, which has them in second place in the AFC West (behind only the Kansas City Chiefs), experts still don’t trust the Chargers, much less consider them AFC contenders.

It’s the level of distrust that generates a franchise accustomed to being chokers in the most important moments.

It’s enough to remember the catastrophe in their most recent Playoff appearance, when they were winning 27-0 against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 4:25 left in the second quarter, and lost 31-30.

The last time the Chargers won a postseason game was in 2013, when the franchise was still playing in San Diego and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10 in a Wild Card game.

Then came Coach Harbaugh

After nearly three full seasons of Brandon Staley as head coach of the Chargers, the team fired him with three games left last season and immediately set their sights on signing the man they had already envisioned as their next coach many months ago: Jim Harbaugh.

Coach Harbaugh had just won the college football title with Michigan; he did it in his ninth season with the Wolverines and after having lost six consecutive bowl games.

Before his time at Michigan, Harbaugh made his NFL debut in 2014 with the San Francisco 49ers. In his second year, he led the Niners to the Super Bowl, which they lost to his brother John’s Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh’s teams have two essential characteristics: they know how to run the ball and play good defense.

In just 10 games with the Chargers, he has already left his mark on the California team.

The game that will validate (or not) the Chargers

On Monday Night, the L.A team will host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, for many the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

A win for the Chargers will automatically put them on the radar of the contenders.

For this new edition of the “Harbaugh Bowl” between brothers Jim and John, it is the Los Angeles team that is in the best shape.

The Chargers have four consecutive wins and the best defense in the NFL in terms of points, allowing just 14.5 per game.

The challenge is huge against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense, which averages 30.4 points per game.

But if you want to beat Baltimore, the first thing you must do is contain their dangerous ground attack, led by Derrick Henry. The Ravens average 177.3 rushing yards per game and Henry has 1,185 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers forced the Ravens to abandon the running game, Henry carried the ball just 13 times and Baltimore suffered its second loss in the past four weeks.

If Lamar Jackson has another one of those days when he has to throw the ball more than he wants, Baltimore’s offensive line will have to deal with Tuli Tuipulotu, a second-year linebacker who leads the Chargers with seven sacks and comes in on a three-game streak of at least two sacks.

When the Chargers have the ball

On Sunday night against the Bengals, quarterback Justin Herbert led his 15th career game-winning drive, capped by running back J.K. Dobbins’ second rushing touchdown of the day.

Dobbins’ eight touchdown runs are tied for sixth in the NFL and fourth in the AFC. He’s one score shy of matching his single-season career high.

And we can’t forget rookie receiver Ladd McConkey, who had 123 yards against Cincinnati. The Ravens’ defense is one of the worst in the league against the pass, so McConkey could be a key piece in this game.

Pick: Chargers 20-17 Ravens

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