Herbert: 'It's a special day' after Harbaugh's debut win
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert praised his new head coach Jim Harbaugh following their 22-10 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
"To have a guy leading the charge like that and a locker room that buys in and follows him, you know, it's a special day as well for him to get his first win," Herbert said of Harbaugh, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.
With the win, Harbaugh improved his NFL record to 45-19-1, the fifth-best win percentage for a head coach in NFL history, Rhim adds.
The Chargers' offense got off to a slow start, totaling only 58 yards of offense on their first seven drives. However, they took control of the contest in the second half, scoring 17 points on 233 yards.
J.K. Dobbins had a terrific season opener, rushing for 135 yards on only 10 carries, including a career-high plus-98 rushing yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats. He took off for a 61-yard run with under five minutes left, all but sealing the victory for L.A.
Chargers first-round pick Joe Alt had a sensational first NFL game, shutting down one of the Raiders' best players in Maxx Crosby. Alt allowed zero quarterback pressures across 11 matchups versus Crosby, all in one-on-one situations, per Next Gen Stats.
"(Wins) are hard to get. Everybody in that locker room knows it, as do I," Harbaugh said after the game. "It is really hard to win a game in the NFL, and I just take my hats off to really everybody in the organization, especially those that have been here doing the dirty work."
Los Angeles will play the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.