Just ask superstar defender Joey Bosa. Sure, the team coughed up a 21-point lead out of halftime and nearly let the struggling Bengals steal one in Los Angeles. For many fans, a sense of deja vu was probably settling in—for players, too. But it turns out the Jim Harbaugh era really is different.

When things felt most dire against the Bengals, the Chargers dug deep and found a way to avoid losing in the most Chargers way possible.

The defense and QB Justin Herbert buoyed the Chargers as they avoided another late-game meltdown to beat the Bengals on Sunday night, a scenario that illustrated how different the team is under coach Jim Harbaugh.