The NFL is marvelling at the Los Angeles Chargers, who play the AFC top game at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Californians are running like clockwork. And it’s not just Justin Herbert who’s responsible for that.

Munich – This NFL season could hold a special punch line. For “NBC” it was already time to point it out. Because it seems anything but unrealistic that SoFi Stadium will host the last three games of this season.

Super Bowl LVI was already awarded to the complex in Inglewood, California, years ago. But the Conference Championship Games two weeks earlier could also be staged at the arena, which only opened last year.

Chargers are the AFC’s No. 1 seed

As is well known, the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers are at home there. The former attracted attention with their 34-24 win over the defending champions and top favourites Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have four wins from five games.

The Bolts have the same record before their next test at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The once San Diego-based franchise leads the AFC, with three wins recently – including against Super Bowl contenders Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Herbert could throw strawberry through battleship “

So Justin Herbert and Co. can no longer easily dismiss the role of favourites. Their most recent success – the 47:42 over the Cleveland Browns – was impressive. There, at the latest, it became clear: The offensive machine is running, the Chargers are under power.

That’s thanks to the brilliantly performing young quarterback, who has taken the next step in his second year and is being ennobled even by the opposition. “He’s one of those guys that could throw a strawberry through a battleship,” Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale praised before the clash.

Chargers: Lots of weapons – like Williams

Herbert has scored 12 touchdowns in his last three wins without committing a single turnover. He has three game-winning drives already this season – no other quarterback has managed that.

But of course, the 23-year-old also has the appropriate weapons to be able to shine in such a way. Wide receiver Mike Williams, for example.

The 27-year-old caught touchdown passes for 48 and 72 yards against the Browns and covered a total of 165 receiving yards. A career best for the receiver, whom “ESPN” calls a “difference maker”. The seventh pick of the 2017 draft has already collected six receiving touchdowns – a league best.

Williams is playing via the fifth-year option, so it’s all about the big payday now. “The kid is a fantastic receiver. He can beat you on the other end of the field or after a few yards,” Head Coach Brandon Staley leaves no doubt that he is very happy with “Big Mike. “

Parham Jr. dances like Durant

Herbert can just as easily target Keenan Allen, though. Or Jalen Guyton. Or Jared Cook. Or Donald Parham Jr. who scored the first touchdown against the Browns and then did a dance that NBA star Kevin Durant once premiered.

“I practiced that every day of the week. In the bathroom, in the shower, everywhere. Just to make sure I get it right,” tight end Parham Jr. smirked after the game. Of course, when things are going like clockwork, you can devote all the more time to rehearsing your own cheer.

Ekeler leads touchdown ranking with Henry

Running back Austin Ekeler, the all-purpose weapon, has already celebrated seven scores of his own. This puts him in joint first place with Derrick Henry. However, unlike the Tennessee Titans’ running back, not all of his scores came via the run. Three times he found his way into the end zone through the air.

Most recently, Ekeler delivered four games in a row with triple-digit total yards. So the Ravens should be warned.

Scored 59 points in fourth quarter already

What sets the Chargers apart is their nerve. Eight times the team played out a fourth attempt, seven times succeeding in a new first down. The rate for third downs is also just under 50 percent. In both statistics, the Staley team is among the top 3 in the league.

You should never write off the Chargers anyway. 59 points in the fourth quarter are the best output of all teams. But the Ravens also like to celebrate comeback victories – most recently in the Monday Night Game with 31:25 after overtime against the Indianapolis Colts. Lamar Jackson and Co. were down by 13 points at one point.

Warning about Jackson and his receivers

Defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill is therefore writing in his players’ homework book with regard to the Ravens playmaker: “We know he finds his guys even under pressure. For us, it’s about staying close with them and reading them.”

That’s especially true for receiver Marquise Brown, who is already at five touchdowns. He contributed two alone against the Colts.

Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. isn’t overly impressed, “He’s one of those guys you have to know exactly. But we do. We’ve played Tyreek Hill, we’ve played Henry Ruggs III, we’ve played a lot of fast receivers. He’s just another one on our list. “

OC Lombardi already knows Staley

This confidence grows with every win, of course. And arguably with every speech Staley makes. The young head coach, who has only been in the NFL since 2017 and is calling the shots for the first time this season, is apparently striking just the right tone.

At least that’s what Joe Lombardi insists. The offensive coordinator left the New Orleans Saints after twelve years on hiatus to take on more responsibility and work with the 38-year-old again. The two know each other from college days when Lombardi was OC and Staley was quarterback.

“Staley’s instincts are fantastic “

“His honesty, his integrity, I think the players can see that. They know from the bottom of his heart that he’s only looking out for their best interests,” the 50-year-old highlights special qualities of his young boss: “Especially for a head coach on his first station and for a young man, his instincts are fantastic.”

What may also help Staley is a stroke of fate from the early days of his coaching career. At the age of 24, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare but deadly cancer. Chemotherapy helped him back to life, and he has now been cancer-free for more than a decade.

“He has mastered the language on both sides of the ball “

Thanks to this difficult time, Staley knows that football in life can be many things but never everything. That’s exactly what the father of three will teach his players, who should feel freer on the field as a result.

“He says the right thing at the right time,” clarifies Lombardi: “He has such a vast knowledge of football – offensively, defensively and special teams – that he knows the language on both sides of the ball and pinpoints exactly how we can win every game.”

Early in the season, that’s working exceptionally well. If that continues, Los Angeles can look forward to more than one highlight in the postseason.