Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh

CHARGERS HEAD COACH JIM HARBAUGH

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

DECEMBER 28, 2024

 

Q: Jim, how did it feel to clinch a playoff spot today?

 

JH: With humble hearts, we move on to the next game. Just so proud of the team, all those that made it happen, the players, the coaches. I mean, there was so much great play. Our offense, great. Defense, great. I’m proud of our captains. Justin Herbert played a near flawless game. Derwin James reached 5.5 sacks, his career high, but he does it every single game. Rashawn Slater and Brad Bozeman, I thought that was the best offensive line play we’ve had the entire season. The run block and the pass protection was so good, so good across the board. Khalil Mack, he’s led us the entire season, and he had a great game. Really proud of J.K. Dobbins, what he’s been able to accomplish, career-high in rushing, missing four games, everything he’s overcome. Just, yeah, an incredible feeling that the hand of God is really on this team, and we’re just going to keep grinding and keep moving forward. But super, super proud of everybody. Everybody. I mean, it’s everybody in the family, everybody in the organization that just keeps doing anything and everything they can to help our team be successful and to win. I mean, you’ve got to be your best when your best is needed most. To do it when you have to do it – maybe some people expected it, but it’s not easy to win any NFL game. When the guys – when they’ve got to have it, they go out and play like they did, it’s just a tremendous testament to who they are as football players and men. Just highest character I’ve been around, and I love these guys.

 

Q: To have a win like this, a convincing win like this with what was at stake at this point in the season, what do you think it could do for your team now as you head into the playoffs?

 

JH: Yeah, I mean, they just gave it everything they had. That’s all they were asking of each other was give us everything you have, give it your very best and do it for each other. Play for each other. I mean, that’s a powerful thing, and I think that bodes well for us.

 

Q: Ladd [McConkey] today set the two rookie receiving records, passing Keenan [Allen] in receptions and yards for a rookie. Just how impressed are you with what he’s been able to do this season?

 

JH: Yeah. He’s been an incredible teammate. He’s been humble and hungry from day one. He’s a mighty man. He’s a football player. Great to see. There have been a lot of great receivers in Chargers history. To set the rookie receiving record, just phenomenal. So much gratitude to Joe Ortiz, Chad Alexander, the entire personnel department. I mean, to do what Joe’s been able to do is incredible and just smile and say yes. That’s part of our team, part of our family. So, a great job, great job by them. Also, Justin Herbert set an NFL record. In the history of the National Football League, the most passing yards of any quarterback in their first five years. Like I said, near flawless performance. I can’t think of one play, one throw or one check that he made that wasn’t just – one ball placed where it shouldn’t have been. Just an incredible, incredible performance by an incredible player.

 

Q: Joe Hortiz was leaving the locker room. You called him back in, gave him a bear hug. That felt like a moment there. Can you describe what you were feeling, why you decided to do that, the emotions of that?

 

JH: Yeah. I mean, I love the high five. I mean, the high five to me, that goes back to being one of the great inventions of all time. But I needed a hug from Joe. I needed to hug Joe. I just love, love Joe. He’s the same brilliant guy every single day, and he is a team guy all the way. He takes no deep, long bows, but he should. He should take a very deep, long bow for just how good he is and what he’s been able to do with this team.

When you go back and look at the way he’s put it together, him and his staff, it’s incredible. I mean, look at the free agents that were brought in, the signings, the midseason signings, the workouts, the tryouts, the draft picks. I mean, it’s just good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good. I mean, it’s so many. We’ve all benefited from the guys that were here last year, the stalwarts like Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa – I thought he had a great game. He had a great game today, some tremendous series. Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Quentin Johnston. Quentin Johnston, tremendous game, the way he came back. A little high maybe, but I thought it was a catchable ball. But then come back and get us a first down on the next drive, then another and another. Joshua Palmer, another guy that – for all the players that were here last year, they’re the ones who have led us, and it’s been their leadership that has motivated us, kept us going. Also, it’s the antidote for complacency, great leadership. That’s what our players have given us. So, now onward. It’s onward, keep grinding, and you never like to lighten up. Tighten up. Tighten up. Keep tightening up. As we move forward, that’s our mission now. Yeah, we want to get this – 11 sounds better than 10, so we’re going to go get ourselves prepared for our next game.

 

Q: You guys were able to convert a couple of fourth downs, especially early. Just when the offense is clicking like that, how much confidence does it give you to just kind of be aggressive in those situations?

 

JH: When you’ve got Number 10 back there and the way the offensive line was performing, I mean, the big guys up front were getting the job done. They were handling their man, they were handling the movement, they were handling the games and the twists. Great job Mike Devlin, also what a fantastic job he’s done. He had us really prepared for this game, and our guys executed at a super high level. So yeah, that gave me a lot of confidence that Justin was getting the protection. If he can finish a throwing motion, then I know that the ball is going to be thrown accurately. The way our receivers are playing, the way Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and [Will] Dissly – a couple of nice, key first down catches and runs by him. I felt very confident that we would pick those up.

 

Q: Offensively, we’ve talked a lot this season about how you’ve been sort of grinding on that side of the ball, trying to find your best football. Did today feel like a turning point at all for you guys offensively in terms of everything clicking and finding what you’ve been searching for?

 

JH: It was four quarters of really good football offensively, four quarters of really good football defensively. Great game plan by Greg Roman. He called a great game. I thought there was – it was fastball, curve, kept us in rhythm, we were efficient, we were able to make big plays, we were able to have some long drives. The field position, there was some hidden yardage there that was hurting us early, but come off your own 8-yard line, own 6-yard line, 94-yard touchdown drive, 92-yard touchdown drive, 29 first downs. I thought it was a great master class of calling the game by Greg as well.

 

Q: Getting J.K. Dobbins back from IR, just how big an influence did he have on the offense?

 

JH: Big. Really big. All the backs. I mean, Hassan [Haskins] was making big plays for us. Kimani [Vidal] had big runs. But it was great. The backs, the way the backs are playing right now, very rarely are they getting less. They’re never getting less than what the play is blocked for, and they’re getting more than what the play is blocked for. Some big first down pickups in the run game as well. J.K. had a big one on third down, Hassan had a big one on third down. I think maybe J.K. had another, or Kimani got one as well. But yeah, I love the way our backs are running and holding on to the football. They’ve done a great job. Kiel McDonald has done a tremendous job with ball security. So yeah, just keep tightening up. There’s things that we can improve, and we’ll go about attacking those as well.

 

Q: Jim, big turnaround in San Francisco, big turnaround at Michigan, here back in the playoffs. Is there a common thread? Different situations, different teams, but is there a common thread in the team that you see that allows for that?

 

JH: Yeah, I really just speak of this team. Very little to do with me. If it goes right, then it’s our players. They’re doing a great job. It’s gone bad a couple times; that’s on me. But yeah, this is – I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid here from day one. It’s really started with – I mean, I can’t give enough credit to Derwin James, Justin Herbert, those two in particular, and Khalil Mack and Rashawn Slater. I mean, stalwarts. Brad Bozeman has come in; he’s been a stalwart. There’s a bunch. There’s probably – I counted it up early. There were maybe 15 stalwarts that we had, and it’s grown since then. It’s quite a bit higher now. But those guys, those guys. You talk to them, and there’s more to do, so yeah. But as a coach, I’ll just end it by saying, answering that question, there’s no coach who could have it better than to be coach of these players. Nobody. Maybe the only one would be future us could have it better than us.

 

Q: Jim, Drake Maye had a pretty good game last week against Buffalo, made a bunch of plays. Today, what was the key to kind of slowing him?

 

JH: I thought we had really good coverage. He’s a heck of a good player, no question about it and was able to get out on a few scrambles. He made a great heads-up play on the offsides. Pass rush was really good, but I thought it was just a really – I mean, our team played one of our best games defensively, and that’s saying a lot because Jesse Minter, this defensive staff and defensive players have had some great games. But to play a complete ball game, four quarters of tremendous defensive football, that was a factor. That was the key factor. We played really good.

 

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