Losing older brother John Harbaugh and seeing the Los Angeles Chargers’ four-game winning streak snapped Monday night may be the least of Jim Harbaugh’s problems this week.

The Chargers are holding their breath as running back JK Dobbins was not seriously injured after leaving with a knee injury late in the first half. the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh, who doesn’t like to talk about injuries and avoids questions about players’ status with the tried-and-true “I’m not a doctor” response, will face a lot of questions about Dobbins’ health this week.

After Dobbins’ four years with the Ravens were derailed by injuries, the 2020 second-round pick decided to bet on himself by signing a one-year deal with the Chargers.

Despite the first 10 1/2 games, the bet seemed to pay off. Dobbins had 40 yards on six carries when he was pulled back by linebacker Malik Harrison and then tackled on a no-gain play on third-and-1 at the 50-yard line.

Dobbins ranks fourth in the AFC in rushing with 766 yards and averages 4.8 yards per carry, third-highest among AFC backs with at least 100 carries. He is considered a candidate for AP Comeback Player of the Year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s opener.

Dobbins’ production throughout the season has made the offense more balanced. Los Angeles had 14 rushes for 68 yards before he was hurt. The rest of the game they had seven carries for 15 yards.

Without Dobbins and trailing 14-13 at halftime, the Chargers tried to count on Justin Herbert and the passing game to bounce back. Herbert was 11 for 22 for 125 yards and sacked three times in the five drives after Dobbins’ departure and did not get back into the end zone until Gus Edwards’ 1-yard run with 46 seconds left.

Edwards will be counted on to be the lead defenseman if Dobbins misses games. Edwards missed four games midway through the season due to an ankle injury and has 25 carries for 93 yards in three games since returning to the lineup.

Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal are being counted on for depth.

“I obviously hope that JK is doing well. Gus has been a great addition because he could run and get some yards,” Herbert said. “We just have to stay with it. I think the offensive line has done a great job all year. Today didn’t go the way we wanted, but we’re going to keep hitting the ball and going after it.”

Dobbins’ injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Chargers either. They are 7-4 and have the sixth seed in the AFC, but have tough tests against playoff contenders Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Denver over the next three weeks.

What works

Herbert on the run. Herbert has made four scrambles of at least 12 yards in the past five games and got his second rushing touchdown of the season on the opening drive on a 5-yard carry up the middle.

What needs help

Don’t give up big play touchdowns. Rashod Bateman’s 40-yard touchdown late in the second quarter (which would have been a pass interference call on Kristian Fulton had it not been completed) marked the third straight game the Chargers allowed a passing TD of at least 40 yards. In the first nine games they had allowed just two.

Stock up

LB Joey Bosa had four tackles, his most since he had seven in Week 1 against the Raiders. Bosa missed three games earlier this season due to a hip injury, but had only two tackles in four games since his return through Monday evening.

Stock down

WR Quentin Johnston is the second Chargers receiver since 2009 to be targeted at least five times and not have a catch, according to Sportradar. Travis Benjamin also had five goals and no receptions against the Jets in 2017. In addition to being held without a catch, Johnston had two critical drops in the second half.

Injuries

In addition to Dobbins, CB Eli Apple suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. CB Cam Hart was inactive due to an ankle injury and was wearing a walking boot. LB Denzel Perryman (groin) and TE Hayden Hurst (hip) were also inactive due to injuries.

Key numbers

57 — Points allowed by the Chargers in the past two games. They had given up 68 in their first five games after their bye week.

73 – Games required for Herbert to reach 1,800 completions, making him along with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes the fastest players in NFL history to reach that mark.

6 — Games where Daiyan Henley has had double-digit tackles. The second-year linebacker had 10 tackles (four solo) on Monday night.

What’s next

The Chargers will make their second trip to Atlanta in three years on Sunday. They won the 2022 meeting in Week 9 when Cameron Dicker hit a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the game. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season and is on a four-game winning streak against teams in the division.

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AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL