What we learned in the Chargers’ 27-22 win over the Giants

Here’s what we learned in the Chargers’ 27-22 win over the Giants:

1. This team needed a win.

The Giants aren’t very good. Eli Manning is close to motionless in the pocket. Their running game is as anonymous as a league source. Their receivers went to the locker room one by one until only one was standing at the end of the game. And still, the Chargers barely won.

But it didn’t matter. In a way, the ugly win was exactly what the team needed. More than one player pointed to the Chargers’ problems in close games over the last handful of seasons. They expressed relief with the win, feeling like some sort of late-game demons had been exorcised.

Had Eli Manning been able to lead the severely shorthanded Giant offense down the field for a game-winning touchdown, the team would’ve been devastated. Instead, Tre Boston got the stop and, more important, the team got a positive close-game experience to draw on when it invariably comes up again.

2. Can the performance be sustained?

The Chargers did do a lot of good in the win. Philip Rivers found Hunter Henry for his second touchdown in the last two weeks, a promising sign that one of the best players on the team’s offense is getting more involved.

Though Philip Rivers’ wasn’t as sharp as he could have or should have been, the Chargers largely did a nice job of keeping him from the most difficult throws.

And, most promising, Melvin Gordon ran with purpose, physicality and an attitude, helping him gain more than 160 yards from scrimmage. The more the Chargers get that kind of production from their top skill possession guys, the better off the offense will be.

3. The defense isn’t allergic to turnovers.

Though the Chargers have done a good job of getting to opposing quarterbacks in passing situations, they’ve not really been able to turn that pressure into turnovers. But Sunday, the Chargers were finally able to right that wrong.

In the first half, Joey Bosa got a paw free and knocked the ball loose out of Manning’s hands. The Giants recovered, but the play made a point — the Chargers were going to get to the football. And, twice in the fourth, they did. Melvin Ingram’s sack/forced fumble/fumble recovery was probably the most important play of the Chargers’ season, and Tre Boston’s fourth-down interception iced the victory.

The Chargers pass rush is elite — they get sacks. Now they need to reap the other rewards pressure can produce.

4. Correctable errors still need to be corrected.

The Chargers still are committing too many penalties at key moments; three really stand out. The Chargers had an illegal block wipe out a good return from Desmond King in what would’ve been the team’s most explosive play on special teams all season. Instead, the drive started inside the 15.

Melvin Gordon’s longest run from scrimmage got wiped out after a holding penalty.

And, maybe the most impactful, Gordon got called for a false start with the Chargers inside the red zone — with Rivers throwing an interception one player later.

There’s nothing wrong with ugly wins — as long they come with improvement. And it’ll be on the Chargers, no longer winless, to keep growing.