Jim Harbaugh not only turned the Chargers’ excitement around, he also played with human engineering.

The Los Angeles quarterback once known as Justin Herbert has transformed.

“I’m renaming it the Monster,” Harbaugh said following Sunday’s 27-17 rout of the Tennessee Titans. “That Monster Herbert; half man, half beast.”

Herbert makes his dough with his strong and accurate right arm. But his two legs and fluid hips allowed him to zigzag his way with little support for a crucial second quarter, fourth down and 4-yard touchdown run.

“There were a lot of players unblocked, and he went into beast mode and took the ball into the end zone,” Harbaugh enthused.

Early in the quarter, it looked like Herbert was going to give up the football during the strip sack, but his vice grip said otherwise.

He managed to avoid a fumble and a Titans touchdown by stretching his strength and gaining an incompletion; It was another game in which Harbaugh put Herbert under the spotlight and the Chargers (6-3) rolled and eclipsed last year’s win total from early November. They got their third win in a row.

“There was probably no one else on the planet who could do that, and then he was able to hold it and finish the throw,” Harbaugh said. “He has big hands and is very strong.”

The Bolts’ real strongman, offensive lineman Khalil Mack, admired his quarterback.

“Justin was doing some things I’ve never seen before,” he said.

With Herbert being asked to resurrect and save the Chargers on a weekly basis, “Harbaugh Ball” replacing “Herbie Ball,” things are affecting fans for Los Angeles’ last three opponents.

Now the Chargers are running the ball even if their opponents know they’re going to be grounded. Gus Edwards’ return on Sunday only bolstered a strong, fast-paced attack.

They play defense at a level rarely seen on the Bolts – certainly not last year. The Chargers are the only team this season that hasn’t allowed their opponents to score 20 points in a game.

They were punched by more than 20 points nine times in 2023 under the coaching of defensive specialist Brandon Staley. Otherwise, we won’t be talking about how they surrendered 63 points in four quarters against the Raiders.

This explosion was, of course, a blessing in disguise. This led the Chargers brass to show some courage and hit the road as they cleaned house with Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.

That led them to Harbaugh, and Harbaugh was leading perhaps the NFL’s most surprising team.

The positive body language the Chargers displayed is Exhibit A, showing how Harbaugh instantly transforms the personality of an organization, as he has done at each of his successful coaching stops.

Harbaugh, the Chargers’ $16 million-a-year man, never tires of chattering about Herbert. No quarterback completed more passes in his first five NFL seasons; That’s just one of the countless praises that roll off Harbaugh’s tongue when talking about the undisputed heart and soul of the Chargers.

“With Justin Herbert, it feels like you’re chasing greatness every day,” Harbaugh said. “He’s incredible. You’re out of adjectives. Really, most of the time with admiration. Always.”

The last-place Chargers had time on their side to rebuild from the train wreck of a roster that went 5-12 last year.

Even as quarterbacks Keenan Allen, Michael Williams, Austin Ekeler and others were pointed toward the door, Harbaugh opened a window of Chargers football that produced wins and what-ifs.

Players embraced Harbaugh’s love of the game, his tireless enthusiasm and his belief that the Chargers could go from riding the AFC West wagon to earning their ticket to the playoffs.

“I really try to add everything I can,” Harbaugh said. “That’s just part of it.”

Of course, he’s a big piece of the puzzle for a team with a punch-in-the-mouth mentality on both sides of the ball.

LA has an offense that can beat you with both sides of the sword. The Chargers had 164 yards receiving, Herbert missed just four of his 18 passes, and rushed for 145 yards.

Balance was Harbaugh’s friend, and that was one of the reasons his smile was so wide.

Defensively, the Chargers racked up seven sacks (yielding 13 sacks in two weeks) and that came with Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa and Mack playing limited snaps. Bosa had his 70th career sack; this was the second most in franchise history.

Special teams were tight as always with Dicker and Cameron kicking the ball on all three field goal attempts by Dicker.

Herbert returns the love he received from Harbaugh. The last coach in the NFL to play Herbert’s position for 14 years is known as quarterback, and the Chargers’ recent results are notable.

“He’s the best,” Herbert said of Harbaugh. “To have a guy like that leading the team, it shows. When you turn on the tape, everybody wants to play for him, they want to fight for him, and the kids are energetic. They’re excited to be there and they’re having fun.”

After the Chargers’ six wins against teams under .500, skeptics point to Los Angeles’ next five games as a test. On deck are the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I love challenges,” Mack said.

Hire them, because Los Angeles is ecstatic to have Harbaugh revitalizing a team known for finding creative ways to lose rather than worrying about what’s ahead.

“We know how last year went and we learned from that,” Herbert said. “We’ve moved on…we keep moving forward and it’s always about the next game.”

At least that explains Monster Herbert. She is never satisfied, which brings no shortage of satisfaction to the enthusiastic Harbaugh, her grateful coach.

“There is no such thing as a good coach when there are players who are not good,” Harbaugh said.

Even if it’s someone who answers to a new name.