During a 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Chargers players enjoyed loud chants of “Let’s go Chargers!” Quarterback Justin Herbert was even serenaded with chants of “MVP!”

The crowd for Sunday’s primetime game wasn’t just the loudest home field advantage of the season for the Chargers, estimated offensive lineman Rashawn Slater. It was the best home crowd of the franchise’s 2021 first-round pick’s career. Slater called the growing enthusiasm around the team “pretty special.”

When Slater was reminded of things like the four-game winning streak the Chargers (7-3) typically go on, he helps with so much fan interest.

“No doubt,” said Slater. “Let’s keep doing it.”

Read more: JK Dobbins’ TD Run Saves Chargers After Blowing a 21-Point Lead to Bengals

Coach Jim Harbaugh, who made a public, unsolicited plea for fan support before the game last week, agreed with the team captain about the team’s direction, both on the field and in the stands.

“This week was better than last week and hopefully next week will be even better,” the coach said of the fan support, looking ahead to a second straight primetime game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. “We just want to bring the kind of football to the market that people get excited about.”

Here are three takeaways from the Chargers’ victory:

Spin the worm

Derwin James Jr. caught confused looks from reporters when he dropped one of Harbaugh’s favorite catchphrases in his postgame interview.

“We’re trying to turn the worm here,” James said.

The phrase, which refers to how quickly fortunes can change, feels like one of the most fitting “harbaughisms” for a team trying to shed its history as losers over time.

The Chargers won their first game this season in which they were tied or trailing in the fourth quarter. They previously lost to the Steelers and Chiefs after both games were tied 10-10 entering the fourth quarter. They lost 17-15 to the Cardinals in Week 7, giving up the winning field goal in the final seconds.

This season’s problems only seemed to reinforce last year’s pattern of seven consecutive defeats in games decided by three or fewer points. But the sight of running back JK Dobbins sprinting into the end zone with 18 seconds left was almost enough to make the earlier disappointments disappear.

“We don’t talk about the past, but there’s definitely magic there,” Dobbins said. “Coach Jim Harbaugh, he’s a magical guy.”

Harbaugh is known for creating winning cultures at each of his previous stops. The magic ingredient may be his confidence, a word players often use to describe their wayward head coach. It has spread to everyone in the organization.

“Before, it was just a feeling of, ‘Oh man, we’re going to do something wrong and we’re going to end up throwing the game away,’” edge rusher Joey Bosa said. “I just think it’s important to believe and know that someone is going to make a play to win the game, no matter who it is. Blowing them out would have been nice, but I think it’s important that our team gets one of those done.”

Justin Herbert finds his playmakers

When Will Dissly signed with the Chargers, the tight end was coveted for his physical blocking that would help set the perfect tone under Harbaugh. What the Chargers didn’t expect was the big role he could play in the passing game.

With four catches for 80 yards and one touchdown Sunday, Dissly has already set career highs in receptions (37) and receiving yards (352). He is second on the team in catches and fourth in yards, just two yards behind receiver Quentin Johnston.

“He’s secretly good at passing,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said of Dissly this week.

Roman admitted that he didn’t expect Dissly to build such a strong bond with Herbert so quickly. The coach credited Dissly’s feel for the game. Dissly was a two-way star player in high school when he was named Montana’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. Dissly started his college career as a defensive lineman at Washington before moving to tight end. He brings that same versatility to his lone offensive position for the Chargers.

“We ask him to catch passes, run blocks, pass blocks and he can do everything,” Herbert said.

Herbert also makes it easy for his receivers. Dissly compared the quarterback to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant: “If Kobe passes you the ball, you better make that shot and give him an assist.”

The quarterback spread the ball well among his teammates on Sunday. Along with Dissly, Ladd McConkey tied a career high with a team-best 123 yards on six catches. It was the rookie’s second 100-yard performance and the most for a Chargers rookie in a game since 2013.

During the game-winning drive, McConkey made two standout plays. He hauled in an acrobatic 28-yard catch over a defender, followed by a 27-yard reception that pushed the Chargers into Bengals territory.

“We have playmakers everywhere,” McConkey said. “So just put the ball in their hands and let them go to work.”

Bent but not broken

The Chargers did not live up to their statistical reputation as the NFL’s top scoring defense against the Bengals. They gave up 27 points, more than double their league-leading average of 13.1 points per game, along with a season-high 425 yards.

The most important statistic, however, should be the Chargers’ fourth straight win. The Chargers bowed. Sometimes they came dangerously close to breaking. Still, they held steady against the Bengals’ dangerous offense, holding Cincinnati to five of 17 on third down attempts and forcing field goals on two red zone drives in the first half, turning the game early.

“It’s always big when you keep the offense at three instead of seven because it just gives us momentum,” said cornerback Kristian Fulton, who had two tackles and three pass breakups in a return after a two-game absence. “It’s huge because one play could mean they don’t score at all.”

Read more: Hernández: Chargers can say ‘Start the MVP talk’ after Justin Herbert beats Bengals in clutch

The Bengals took advantage of the Chargers’ offensive swoon during the third quarter and scored 21 straight points, but never took the lead against the clutch defense that kept giving Herbert opportunities to find the winning score.

The Chargers held their ground on 10- and 9-play drives to force long field goals. Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed from 48 and 51 yards, but the Chargers went three-and-out on offense both times.

In the last two minutes the defense came through again. After allowing a first-down run, the Chargers forced three consecutive incompletions, forcing the Bengals to punt with 45 seconds left. The Chargers scored four plays later.

“Every week we have to be at our best when our best is needed, and that’s what we did today,” Fulton said. “That’s exactly what it takes: to be at your best. This is the NFL; every game will be close.”

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.