Former Patriots star disagrees with what Jim Harbaugh is doing with Chargers

LA Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has received seemingly ubiquitous praise for what he has been able to do in his first season in the AFC West. Quarterback Justin Herbert managed to pull out just five wins last season, and this year, he already is sitting pretty at eight wins.

Unless a disaster happens, Harbaugh's team will earn its second playoff appearance since 2019. However, one NFL analyst believes the former Michigan Wolverines coach is going a little too hard in one direction. Speaking on Friday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Rodney Harrison gave his thoughts.

"Coach Harbaugh wants to lean on his defense," Harrison said. "I think he's a little too conservative on the offensive side of the ball. I think it's time that Justin Herbert opens up the offense a little bit more. You don't have J.K. Dobbins, so obviously that affects your run game."

Harbaugh's offense ranks 24th in yards earned per game, per ESPN. The Chargers also rank 24th in passing yards per game. They rank 18th in rushing yards per game, tipping a preference to run the football instead of passing it.

Jim Harbaugh's Chargers stare down three-week gauntlet to confirm playoff seeding

Jim Harbaugh during Chargers at Falcons - Source: Getty

The Chargers are sitting in a strong spot going into Week 14, but they have not yet clinched a playoff seed. To do so, they will need to either hope for losses from the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins or aim to win in the next three weeks.

It doesn't appear to be an easy schedule, with games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos looming. The Chargers face the Chiefs and Broncos in primetime, so the entire country will have the opportunity to see Jim Harbaugh's best shot.

Of course, if those teams do knock the Chargers down, they have the luxury of two struggling opponents to conclude the year. They will wrap up the 2024 season with matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots.

That said, if they stumble back into a stressful situation with the seeding, they'll need to reset, recompose and take care of business in two games where the pressure suddenly is on the Chargers and not their opponents.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.