Jim Harbaugh SAYS Chargers 'dodged a BULLET' after their final PRESEASON win over Cowboys

yeah what do you think about the game uh your first win back in the pros um it was uh it was exciting um I thought I thought our guys uh you know did a great job just there just a lot on people's minds you know this this time of the year you know third preseason game uh you know everybody playing for something um individually and for their unit and for the team um so I just I just want to see guys clear their mind cleanse their souls and but it's going out and playing free playing fast playing playing you know just putting their best foot forward and you know I thought our guys uh you know really did that I thought it was that way on both sides of the ball it was uh it was good football coach how big was the the first offensive play of the game what was your advantage point on Darius touchdown yeah it was um the way he worked the sideline was incredible um the uh the lesser man would not have scored on that play uh or or stayed in bounds it would have been a it would have been a four five yard gain I was I was right there my vantage point was right on top of it I didn't think he was going to be able to to get it turned um but uh he did and uh incredible job of working the sideline by him and then um you know really seeing his speed was uh was great to see as well and then the long cut down to to simy how much did uh did the offense kind of need a big play like that gu in the path game yeah um uh a lot I mean you need you need uh yeah it was it was great um felt great for Easton uh and simy thought he made a real strong catch kept his feet uh and was able to score the ball um he's done a he's done a great job so uh it was it was great a lot of great things I mean I thought a red zone defense was uh came up huge uh and of course the the turnovers were you know were were tremendous plays T Jeff Tony Jefferson had you know one of those great games I mean I've always felt this and and have said it to the guys but I mean you can you can make some incredible memories in in a preseason game a preseason game is uh you can you can have an incredible uh experience impact in the game by uh you know your team winning and you make the play that that helps the team win and we had about seven guys you know that directly responsible for uh the team winning I mean that's that's that's as good as it doesn't get any better than that you know in a football game so um yeah felt uh felt great for those guys uh you mentioned Tony uh how do you kind of look at your safety room right now um I mean that's guys were guys were balling uh you know I thought they I thought the statements were made you know in the in the sa safety room and um it's it was it was great to see I mean you're always looking for guys that can you know are going to be um guys that you can count on and uh and we're certainly looking for a count on me guys in the safety room behind Derwin and alohi coach and you talk about uh getting guys sort of clear their minds I know last night y'all had a pretty long night out there with the hotel inad and I mean what do you what was your initial reaction to everything that was going down it was uh it was we dodged a bullet I mean um I usually think of dodging a bullet of you know dodging an injury in football and you got to get good at that you got to get good at uh making yourself harder to break and and uh and dodging a bullet but I mean it was a it was a shared experience you know um I think 11 or 12 of our players were there for about two hours and um that's a that's a shared experience I mean brought them brought them closer together I just missed it you know uh being on that that elevator it's like I wish I wish I could have been there with those guys you know and um but but um but Justin Herbert was and the remarkable things that came out of it was you know to a to a guy um you know tarhe young rookie player like Justin Herbert's a leader he was a rock uh you know kept everybody calm and uh Jerry FS told me the same thing you know pulled me aside after they got out and uh just how how uh how great Justin was and and everybody I mean everybody kept their Poise and you know just just you know you get in those situations and it's a test of Wills you know and uh I was proud of each each of the the guys and and and the and the the the two women that were were on that elevator I mean that's that's uh that's a win you know you feel good about yourself you got you were challenged and it was a test of Will and you pull it down you know we pull it in one of the one of the two but uh yeah there was a there's a camaraderie amongst that group that uh is even even stronger than it was before and it was hot um you know I was watch as each person came off the elevator I mean sweating and you know some had had had the had the shirt off uh I mean uh Justin Herbert his hair was a little wet but his his shirt was completely dry that's another thing that that that blew me away the guy is just a beast uh so uh yeah I mean uh who's got it who's got it better than I wish those guys that were on that elevator you know that they got the and those and and and Jerry fa was she was incredible too I mean uh she was the she was the link to the outside world and uh and Dan F was quarterbacking from the uh from the uh from from the elevator and and and Joe hortiz was you know was he was a rock he was great I mean I was trying and I I know very little about elevators so although I wasn't given much much help but uh yeah definitely those the folks in the elevator um and uh and Justin lead leading the leading the group and uh Joe and and and Dan F I mean it was uh it was it was it was uh was all set and down yeah we dodged a bullet it was reported that you invited members of the Dallas fire department and oh my gosh the Dallas the Dallas fire department take a deep long bow you know I said um at one point I was like this is Dallas finest you know we got Dallas finest on this and uh I guess you're only supposed to say that for the police department and then for uh for the uh fire department I can't remember what word they use for the bravest maybe or the most courageous um but uh they were they were they were incredible and uh you that was uh you know just you're proud you know you're proud of the proud of the proud of the fire men and women and proud of our guys uh and uh you know Jerry and and the other guy G I didn't get her name she uh she wasn't associated with the team uh but you know good for you good for you that was uh they they all got to feel feel good about themselves that they that uh that challenge came on them and uh you they uh they met it and and and crushed it but without the Dallas fire department you know that would who could have been could have been a lot worse it would have been a lot more hours would have who knows who knows how it would have ended but I mean those guys were those guys were great and there's a couple couple ex football players in there that was fun to talk to them and um yeah they were I mean they were they were they were Sensational you know really were and just the way they they thought out the plan and and then uh you know we're doing every precaution possible but you know in the end they victory for the for the Dallas fire department man where to go coach you have a couple TCU ORS on your team yeah talk about how they performed for you guys going into the season and over the preseason in training camp yeah yeah um start with DD he's uh you know he's been a a great contributor we can count on DD um he's been outstanding as you saw tonight uh you know a lesser man would have not made that play he did not too many people on the planet would have would have been able to do that um he's a he's a trusted agent and know friend and Quinton Johnson he is uh he is just elevating his game every week it is uh it is fun to watch he is he is um I keep you know I've been using the word attacking you know he attacks it and you attack meetings training and uh and football practice but I think the better word is engaged love that word engaged um and I see him you know engaged in meetings in practice um in games in the training environment and you just watching him you know get uh get better you know better today than yesterday better tomorrow then today and uh he's on a great track Junior get out there for a little bit how good was that for you to see good it was good I was uh you I think he's been chomping at the bit and then um he um he he came out he tapped his helmet to come out I Junior been chopping at the bit to get out here what's what's going on he had some something was I guess the paint he was hitting paint with helmets and they were it was coming down he couldn't see he said because there was paint on his shield so maybe get a better Shield or um or uh no Shield but it was good we had him on a pitch you know pitch count play count and uh um looking forward to watching the tape thought he uh thought he did a good job really good job it's great to great to see traymon and Matt henkins I mean they've been a couple of my favorite guys um Draymond Morris barash make make a make a huge play and and uh Matt henkins go out for that ball he's so instinctual he's done such a nice job it's great to see see it pay off for him in a in a big way and Rob D Kennedy he's another guy that's been been doing good getting better and better uh each each day uh nice to see him make the big play and you know Tony Jeff Jefferson um that was that was a sensational game I mean a sack a force fumble two interceptions I don't know how many 11 or 13 tackles uh and I've always uh always had great respect and admiration for him and he played for my brother and we got all this you know it's like uh you know family you know that's that's family and it's great to great to see him do so well tonight uh yeah a bunch of you know bunch of bunch of guys you know bunch of guys that are you know were uh like I said at the beginning had a lot have a lot on their mind you know every football player has a lot on their mind going into a game every every game um but it was it was fun to it was fun to see them having fun you know clearing the Mind cleansing the soul playing football I think that that uh today's today's game did that for for several guys team as you head into Tuesday what do you expect your conversations with Joe to be like and and what do you want the initial 53 roster to to feel like for you um the best players you know um the best the best uh best 53 that we we can but I I also um it's so different than when I was last in the league because it's really not a 53 anymore it's really a 55 and then it's really a 70 71 72 do uh when you start looking at the the practice squads so um I'm excited about it uh you know I know I know a little bit more about a 71 man 74 man you know travel Squad and uh 110 Man team 145 Man team you know um so I'm I'm happy that it's that it's grown and and there's a ton of guys in that locker room that yeah we want to be a part have be a part of that 71 man roster so um but Joe Chad um Lou uh you know Joe Joe Ortiz is gonna he's gonna run it he's gonna I'm let um I want him to do it because he's watching Everybody uh not only on our team but every every other team and they're watching you know those gentlemen and their and the our Pro Personnel staff and our entire entire Personnel Department uh they're just going to they're going to know it better um you know you know certainly as it relates to the um you know our team and the rest of the league so uh I'm uh I'm gonna play uh I'm gonna play Robin to his Batman and uh we trust Joe he's uh he's the best in the business love him