The Los Angeles Chargers may not be a legitimate Super Bowl contender right now. But a growing number of people seem to be picking the team to finish first in the AFC West.

Los Angeles went 11-6 and made the playoffs last season in Jim Harbaugh’s first go-around as its head coach. This season, its key players are a little more seasoned and used to Harbaugh’s system, and Harbaugh, in turn, has opened up the offense a little bit for quarterback Justin Herbert.

But, in true Harbaugh fashion, it is defense that is carrying the 2-0 Chargers. Through two games, they rank third in points allowed and first in passing touchdowns given up. In fact, in their 20-9 win on Monday over the Las Vegas Raiders, they had a whopping seven players with at least two passes defended, which is tied for the most such players in one game since the stat was first kept in 1999.

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Harbaugh’s teams in both college and the NFL have always played defense like Secret Service men. Last year, L.A. led everyone in points given up and allowed over 20 points in just four regular-season games.

On Monday, it forced Raiders quarterback Geno Smith into three interceptions without giving up a single touchdown. Smith, who had a 70.4% pass completion rate last year, completed just 24 of his 43 pass attempts.

On the other side of the football, the Chargers are still a work in progress, but they are making progress. Herbert is playing outstanding football, and while their running game has been very pedestrian, their air attack is looking good.

Quentin Johnson, a third-year wide receiver who had been considered a disappointment, has 150 yards and three touchdowns on just eight catches this season. Veteran WR Keenan Allen, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Chargers, is back after playing for the Chicago Bears in 2024, and he has caught 12 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns this year.

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This coming Sunday, L.A. will host the Denver Broncos, another up-and-coming young team in the AFC West that has been winning with defense. A third win would serve notice that the Bolts could wreak some real havoc across the league the rest of the way.

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