Below are three takeaways from Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback Justin Herbert and others following Wednesday's media sessions:
Herbert shows leadership, fire
Some might classify the Chargers Week 1 victory over the Raiders as an "ugly win."
Justin Herbert hardly cares about style points these days.
Instead, the Bolts quarterback is about doing whatever it takes to be ahead on the scoreboard come Sunday afternoon.
"Not every game is going to be pretty in the NFL," Herbert said. "And obviously we want to do a lot better on offense.
"But the defense, it was awesome to see those guys go out there and play super tough, physical defense and get some turnovers," Herbert added. "We're looking for our shot when the offense can carry the way."
The Bolts managed just 83 yards of total offense in the first half before compiling an impressive 233 yards in the final two quarters.
And the Chargers offense converted half of their eight third-down tries in the second half after not moving the chains on their attempts in the first half.
"I thought we did a good job of sticking with things," Herbert said. "It didn't go our way in the first half but we kept battling and kept pushing and busted a couple runs there."
Herbert, by the way, threw for 144 yards against Las Vegas. The Chargers are now 3-5 when Herbert throws for fewer than 200 yards in a start.
The Bolts have now turned their attention to the Panthers for a Week 2 road game in Carolina.
One thing Herbert will be better prepared for is a pregame pump-up routine from Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.
"I just wasn't ready for it," Herbert said. "I thought it was a moment to like, "Hey, let's go get this.' Dap up.
"But he hit me a couple times, and I thought that was it," Herbert added. "And then he kept going back for more. I'll be much better the next time."
If anything, Herbert quipped that Harbaugh needs to ramp up the power more on his end.
"He took it light on me. He could have hit me harder," Herbert said. "I'll ask him next time, like, 'Hey, you got to make sure I feel some of those punches.'"
Herbert did some firing up of his own in the Chargers pregame huddle Sunday as he loudly and demonstratively gave an impassioned speech that may have contained a colorful word or two.
"That's part of being the quarterback, just stepping up and leading and doing everything you can," Herbert said. "But I didn't see the video so hopefully I didn't say anything too bad."
When informed of his choice of language, Herbert joked that "Football Justin" took over.
Harbaugh on Wednesday raved about every type of leadership Herbert has displayed of late.
"Never complacent," Harbaugh said. "A lot of people make a lot of money and it causes them to be complacent. Not Justin Herbert.
"I think the thing [I learned] now is just how fierce a competitor he is," Harbaugh added.
That will be evident Sunday in Carolina when Herbert tries to lead a better overall performance for the offense against the Panthers.
"We're not always going to do the same thing every week," Herbert said. "But to strategize for each specific game plan, I think it's only going to help us as an offense."
Big week for improvement
The Bolts have made it clear that even though there was a lot of good from Sunday, there's more work to be done heading into Week 2.
"There's room for improvement, too, which is a coach's dream," Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh reiterated again Wednesday some of the standout performances from the season opening win, highlighting the work in both trenches.
But he also mentioned how this specific week might be the most crucial of the season in terms of progress.
Harbaugh said postgame Sunday that the time period between Week 1 and Week 2 is where the team can make the biggest improvement of the season over a weeklong period.
The Head Coach dove more into why he believes that's the case.
"Always thought that over the course of a season, this is the one week where you have the chance to make the most amount of progress because you've already done it." Harbaugh said. "You know where you did good and you know things to improve on.
"You go and attack those and say, 'Hey, I like this but not this.' Then you do it again," Harbaugh added.
Even though some members of the Bolts starters did suit up in the preseason, it was the first full-length game they have played as a team.
Chargers right guard Trey Pipkins III noted that as one of the reasons why learning from the opening week to the second game is important.
"I think that's kind of a whole thing around the league," Chargers right guard Trey Pipkins III said. "Week 1 is sometimes harder to get going, a lot of the time more mistakes and things like that because coming out of the preseason, sometimes a lot of guys haven't played together.
"I think as you continue to play together and blocking, all the scheme, it's naturally a big bump in improvement in Week 2," Pipkins added.
What doesn't change from week to week? The end goal.
"The mindset is the same, Harbaugh said. "Each week you're just trying to win the next game.
Harbaugh added: "That's the No. 1 goal for us, for the Panthers, for everyone else in the league. Win the next game."
Harbaugh returns to Carolina
Sunday's game will also be a return of sorts for Harbaugh.
Harbaugh finished his playing career as a member of the Panthers in 2001 under two-time Super Bowl winning Head Coach George Seifert, whom he said he remains good friends with today.
While he never got to play in a game in Carolina, Harbaugh did have some experiences he shared Wednesday about his time with the organization.
Harbaugh told a story from his time as the scout team quarterback in Carolina and throwing to then-rookie wide receiver Steve Smith, who would go on to be a First-Team All-Pro in his first year.
Before a play in practice, they would circle where they want the ball to go for the scout team on a card.
Harbaugh learned quickly, however, that going to Smith was the best choice no matter what.
"I just said, 'I'm going to throw it to Steve Smith.' This guy catches everything," Harbaugh said with a smile. "The practice was like my game when you're in the backup position."
In Carolina was also where Harbaugh says he realized what would be the next step in his professional career.
"The other thing I learned, I didn't get into a game so it was time to coach," Harbaugh said. "It was time to go into coaching. This is the football gods explaining to me that we're not going to play anymore and we're going to go into coaching."
Harbaugh said he believed he could play two more years but called it a "Harbaugh staple," as his father, Jack, shared a similar answer in when to call it a career.
"[Coach] as long as you possibly can. You go and you coach until you cannot step on the field one more time, until you can't endure one more practice or put one more game plan together. You come to that point, you coach for two more years," Harbaugh said with a laugh. "That's how I felt personally at that time. As a player, I felt like I had two more [years] in me."
Even in his short time in Carolina, Harbaugh was able to meet some people who would go on to be impactful in his career including Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman.
"Nothing more profound that meeting Greg Roman in Carolina," Harbaugh said.
Roman was the Panthers offensive line assistant at the time when he was a quarterback with the team.
Harbaugh recalled what it was like to see the current Chargers offensive playcaller early on in his career and what stood out from the jump.
"He was the go-to guy. He was geeked and excited to teach," Harbaugh said. "It was things I'd never heard before."
He later added: "He could take a complex football play/scheme and explain it 30 minutes max and I felt like I knew it inside and out. He has that ability to really teach."
Harbaugh praised Roman's ability to think ahead, likening him to a chess player as he continues to be the same coach today.
He might not have been in Carolina for a long time, but the relationships he made continue to have an impact in the present.
"What he's done speaks for itself," Harbaugh said.
He later added: "That was the most proud thing that came out of my Carolina days."
