The entire world got to see Sunday night on national television what the AFC has come to realize: the Los Angeles Chargers are emerging as a real-deal power in the NFL. Less than a calendar year after finishing with the fifth pick in the draft and arguably the worst defense in football,

The Cincinnati Bengals tested the Chargers' fortitude on Sunday night by staging a comeback, but Los Angeles proved under Jim Harbaugh it is no longer a team liable to crumble.

Coming up big in clutch moments and being resilient are two qualities the Los Angeles Chargers had lacked over the past four seasons. That isn't the case in coach Jim Harbaugh's first year. The Chargers blew a 21-point third-quarter lead but came up with big plays in the closing minutes to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27 Sunday night.