First-year Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t one of those doubting Houston’s potential in a winner-take-all showdown. He understands that at their peak, the Texans can cause defensive fits for Justin Herbert and a surging Chargers offense.

The Los Angeles Chargers will visit the Houston Texans in Round 1 of the NFL playoff bracket on Saturday. There, the Chargers will look to keep playing with house money in Year 1 of the Jim Harbaugh experience by stealing a road win after closing the season on a three-game heater that included outbursts of 34 or more points in each contest.

FOXBORO, Mass. — Jim Harbaugh burst into the locker room like the Kool-Aid Man. There was an open entrance, so he did not have to break down a wall. But considering the enthusiasm the Los Angeles Chargers coach was exuding, he probably could have shouldered through some drywall if necessary.