The Los Angeles Chargers, led by former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert, have clinched a playoff spot before the final game of the NFL regular season. Will Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh bench He

The Chargers beat the New England Patriots 40-7 to clinch their first playoff berth since 2022, which will be their third postseason appearance in 11 seasons.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said he could tell from the noise his teammates made from neighboring meeting rooms on Saturday “that good things were happening.” Los Angeles needed the Steelers to lose to the Bengals that night to have a shot at the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.

"Harbaugh's fingerprints are all over this team already. But after the Chargers beat the rival Broncos in a matchup with major wild-card implications, it's clear it's the combination of quarterback and coach that makes the Bolts a nightmare matchup as the AFC's (likely) sixth seed."

Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback with 15 years of experience, has made a bold comparison between himself and Chargers standout Justin Herbert.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for 15 years and had some good moments, but he was never as good a player as the quarterback he coaches now, Justin Herbert.

The Chargers obliterated the New England Patriots 40-7, clinching a wild-card spot. The Chargers improved to 10-6. They still have a shot at the No. 5 seed, which is valuable because that team will play the Houston Texans, who will be the weakest of the AFC's division winners and are locked into the No. 4 seed.