Chargers Overcome Slow Start to Beat 49ers, Proving They Belong in Playoffs

This game was supposed to be over. 

Down by 21 points at the half and 14 points at the end of the third quarter, the San Diego Chargers seemed completely out of the game by all conventional wisdom and eventually needed what can only be considered a tremendous comeback. 

They got it. 

Overall, the top Chargers players did what needed to be done. Quarterback Philip Rivers was 33-of-54 for 356 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions; the Chargers, as a team, rushed for just shy of 100 yards; the defense, led by safety Eric Weddle, created three turnovers that easily could have helped turn the tide of the game. 

The San Francisco 49ers did not fare so well, and their second-half offensive performance may have solidified head coach Jim Harbaugh's unsteady job status. Offense is supposed to be his specialty, and it clearly wasn't on Saturday night—nor were things like late-game adjustments or creative second-half play-calling. 

This was more about what the Chargers were made of than where Harbaugh might be going next season. The Chargers may have larger aspirations. 

Now, they need some help to get to the postseason. Chargers.com actually had the three most viable pathways to the postseason—if the Chargers win in Week 17 against the Kansas City Chiefs as well as:

"

1. The Baltimore Ravens lose one of their final two games (@Hou, vs. CLE) OR
2. The Pittsburgh Steelers lose both of their final two games (vs. KC, vs. CIN) OR
3. The Cincinnati Bengals lose both of their final two games (vs. DEN, @PIT)

"

That's, frankly, quite the hill to climb. 

It's not insurmountable, though. 

The AFC has been a bit of a crapshoot this season, and I ask you: Why not the San Diego Chargers? Though it hasn't been the case recently, it's possible to look at their season in this way: When the Chargers were at their best, who was better? For a stretch spanning the first six or seven weeks of the season, there was no team playing at the level the Chargers were. 

This isn't saying the Chargers are the best team right now...not even close. 

No, rather, this is saying that we can trust that the Chargers have the prerequisite talent to actually put up a fight in the playoffs. Perhaps more importantly, they can play at a high level for more than one game.

They belong. 

They still might not get there, but they belong. 

On a rare Saturday night matchup, the Chargers showed they can win when they handle adversity well. This wasn't a fantastic win, as Rivers was errant with the ball and the team was forced to pass too much to catch up, but the team played within itself and fought back tooth and nail. 

This wasn't a game the Chargers should have won, but they did. 

For that—not just because it was the 49ers, or Harbaugh, or whatever, but because they did so against all odds—fans should hope to see the Chargers in the playoffs. 

Anytime we seem to write them out, they come roaring back in. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.