The Jacksonville Jaguars are back in the NFL Playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, and they're not looking to make it a brief stay in the postseason. After an up-and-down regular season, the Jaguars ended the year on a remarkably strong note, winning each of its last five games, and six of its last seven, in order to win the AFC South and earn their first playoff berth in a half-decade. With a matchup against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers looming, Trevor Lawrence and Co. have the chance to make a big statement on Saturday.
Doug Pederson has helped transform an organization that was in utter chaos under the leadership of Urban Meyer. The results are night and day from last season, when the Jaguars finished 3-14. After a 9-8 year, the Jags are looking to make some noise in the playoffs.
With all that in mind, here are four bold Jaguars predictions vs. the Chargers in their Wild Card round matchup on Saturday, Jan. 14.
*Watch NFL Playoff Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
4. Jaguars hold Chargers to under 75 rushing yards
The Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the better rushing defenses in the NFL this season, surrendering an average of 114.8 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 12th in the league. They're coming off a dominant outing in which they held the Tennessee Titans to just 19 rushing yards. While much of that was due to game script, the Chargers boast one of the weakest rushing attacks in the league, and it could be difficult for them to find success on the ground in Saturday's showdown.
Austin Ekeler is a star, undoubtedly, but he's most lethal when being utilized through the air. The Chargers will look to throw the ball frequently, and they'll be forced to lean heavily on Justin Herbert, especially if Jacksonville can neutralize their rushing attack. The Jaguars appear to be a different team than the squad that surrendered 151 rushing yards against the Chargers in Week 3, and even while letting up a big chunk on the ground, the Jags won that matchup 38-10.
3. Travis Etienne scores a touchdown, rushes for 100+ yards
The one thing missing from Travis Etienne's breakout year in 2022 was a plethora of touchdowns. Etienne had a strong year in his first healthy campaign with the Jaguars, but he only scored five touchdowns on the season. He was held out of the end zone for the first six weeks of the season before scoring four TDs over a three-week stretch in October-November. Since then, he has just one TD in eight games. While he's played well of late, including two 100+ rushing yard outings, he simply hasn't converted that into scores.
That should change on Saturday against the Chargers. Los Angeles surrendered 17 rushing touchdowns this season, which is 21st in the NFL. We're expecting Etienne to get back into the end zone in the Wild Card Round and deliver a critical touchdown, while picking up triple-digit yards, against the Chargers.
2. Trevor Lawrence throws for 250+ yards and 2 TDs
Trevor Lawrence has looked the part of a former first-overall pick in 2022. The Jaguars' QB has been electric in his second NFL season, throwing 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. We're expecting him to keep his torrid pace alive in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Chargers have one of the best passing defenses in the league, but they struggled to contain Lawrence in their earlier meeting this season. In Week 3, Lawrence had a massive game vs. the Chargers in the Jaguars' 38-10 win. The 23-year-old threw for 262 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions while completing 71.8 percent of his pass attempts.
Despite the Chargers averaging nearly 2.0 takeaways over the past three weeks, Lawrence has displayed remarkable accuracy during the second half of the campaign. Since Week 9, Lawrence has thrown just two interceptions. During that same span, he's thrown 15 touchdown passes and completed nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts. With Lawrence on fire right now, he shouldn't have too much trouble picking apart LA's secondary.
1. Jaguars take down Chargers in high-scoring nail-biter
The Jaguars-Chargers matchup in Week 3 was extremely one-sided, with the Jags picking up a four-score victory. While we're expecting another Jaguars W in the Wild Card Round, this game figures to be much closer than their last meeting. The Chargers are getting closer to full strength, and are hopeful of having Mike Williams available for the playoff showdown after he was carted off the field in Week 18 with a back injury.
If Justin Herbert has both Williams and Keenan Allen at his disposal, the offense could be in line for a big game. The Chargers averaged 23 points per game this season, which ranks in the top half of the league. Jacksonville averaged 23.8 points per game (8th best in the league). With two high-octane offenses set to square off, this game should be even more high-scoring than their last meeting which totaled 48 points. We're predicting this game to be closer to 50 points, and it should go down to the wire.
Follow Us
Subscribe