The Chargers are one step closer to playing into January.

The Bolts flipped the script and pulled out a 34-27 win over the rival Broncos on Thursday night, rallying from an 11-point deficit in a matchup that had major playoff implications.

And they did it thanks in large part to the stellar play of quarterback Justin Herbert.

Herbert completed 23 of 31 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on the night.

But what he was able to do in the second half, even with a banged up ankle, was NFL.com's Eric Edholm's No. 1 takeaway as he willed the group to a win.

Edholm wrote:

The Chargers were desperate for a victory, and things were not looking great when the Broncos took a 21-10 lead — with the Chargers defense offering no resistance. That's when Herbert put on his Superman cape and willed his team back for a rousing victory. Herbert was already pretty dialed in in the first half, even with an interception, but he took it to another level in the second half, completing 11 of his 16 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown pass to Derius Davis was an incredible effort by Herbert, and Josh Palmer helped with a terrific effort on the two-point catch. Herbert also had two gutsy scrambles, first for 18 yards in the third quarter and then for 16 more on a third-and-10 run. That helped set up the touchdown that gave the Chargers a two-score lead late — and a badly needed victory against a division foe.

Herbert led the Bolts to three touchdown drives in five second-half possessions.

CBS Sports' Garrett Podell and Jared Dubin were in the same boat as Edholm, as they tabbed Herbert's performance as the difference maker in why the Chargers won.

Podell wrote:

Herbert heroics, and a defense that stepped up after a horrific start. Herbert finished this game 23 of 30 for 284 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception, but the stat line doesn't do his performance justice — even when you account for his 40 rushing yards. He was firing lasers all over the field, and he repeatedly came up with huge plays at the most crucial moments. He was the best player on the field. And L.A.'s defense yielded just six points the rest of the game, after allowing the Broncos to begin the night with three consecutive touchdown drives.

Herbert's second-half heroics also coincided with the defense turning it around as well.

After giving up three touchdown drives to open the game, the defense allowed just six points the rest of the way and allowed the offense to battle their way back.

A couple of game-changing plays and defensive stops was huge not only for this game, according to Edholm, but also in the big picture when it came to bouncing back from last week's performance.

Edholm wrote:

Suddenly, a pass rush emerged. The tackling and gap fitting improved. The Broncos had to sweat a little. The Chargers forced the Broncos to punt five times — including three three-and-outs — in six series, helping fuel the comeback. Joey Bosa's second-quarter sack seemed to light a little fire, and Bud Dupree had a huge one with the Chargers protecting a three-point lead with less than seven minutes left. They did just enough to hang on, including Tarheeb Still's pass defensed on Nix's underthrown pass 40-plus yards downfield. That probably should have been a touchdown.

The Bolts are now on the cusp of a playoff berth, and they could be in as soon as this Sunday depending on how a few scores shake out.

But regardless if they don't get in this weekend, Thursday night's win was a statement, according to Bleacher Report’s NFL staff.

It showed that this Chargers team led by Jim Harbaugh and Herbert are a team no one wants to face in the Wild Card round.

They wrote:

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…

The Chargers aren't the best team in the AFC, or even the second- or third-best. But no one wants them coming to town in Round 1.