AFC Wild Card
(5) Los Angeles Chargers at (4) Jacksonville Jaguars
Chargers: All the hype was there for them to make the playoffs. Everything has been set in place for them. They built that defense up with the acquisition of Khalil Mack and they were able to sign JC Jackson to a free agent contract, they have the tallest group of Wide Receivers and let’s not forget the Quarterback. I was high on Justin Herbert during his college days at Oregon and he’s yet to disappoint me. Everyone might say he struggles and he isn’t consistent, then I respond to that with a question: What would you do if you didn’t have your receivers in the line up week in and out? When everyone is healthy, this is a tough offense to prepare for. Mike Williams creates matchup nightmares with his height and strength, then Keenan Allen is one of the very best route runners in our league. Also, I can’t forget Austin Ekeler at all. He’s a threat as both a runner and a receiver. Let me give Brandon Staley some credit here. He’s done a terrific job of righting the ship in the second half of the season. Many had the Chargers as the consensus favorite to win the AFC West and there were some who predicted them to win the Super Bowl. What’s hurt them at times is they haven’t been ready for that big moment or they fold when those lights shine the brightest. I know what the offense is bringing to the table on a consistent basis. It’s the defense that worries me, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Here I am thinking the defense would be the strong point of the team considering that’s Brandon’s background as a defensive minded coach. I feel the future is bright for them. Justin is a franchise Quarterback, they’ve added pieces around him and they can only go up from here. On Saturday night, they’ll make a trip across the country to Florida.
Jaguars: The beautiful thing about football is you never know what to expect. I am so proud of this franchise and all they overcame to even be here. As many of you remember, the 2021 season was a soap opera. At first, you thought the hiring of Urban Meyer was a good one, especially with looking back at his track record during his college days as he’s recorded a losing season anywhere he had been. That wasn’t the case in the NFL and it was very evident that the team didn’t want to play for him. A year later, Doug Pederson gets the job and look what happens. They are AFC South division champions, something none of us saw coming. Remember, the Tennessee Titans were 7-3 at one point and four games up in the division with seven games to play. The Jaguars never counted themselves out and they just kept winning and winning. I’ve watched Trevor Lawrence really mature as a football player this year and he is a main reason as to why Jacksonville is here playing postseason football. As I said last week before their final regular season game, he’s more poised as a passer and he’s taking much better care of the football. This is a young and energetic football team with a young core of players with the right Head Coach leading them. I can’t say it enough, coaching does indeed make all the difference in the world. They’ll be under the lights on Saturday night for a showdown with the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Chargers.
Chargers X-Factor: Sebastian Joseph-Day– There are many playmakers on this Chargers defense from Kyle Van Noy to Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. Don’t forget Sebastian either. He has just as much of an impact as the others I listed. He’s so fast at the line of scrimmage and works his way around blockers. With the get off at the snap, Sebastian can smother and collapse the Quarterback’s pocket. I also admire what he brings to the table as a run stopper. His experience will be a factor for the Chargers. He was on the Rams last season and they won the Super Bowl.
Jaguars X-Factor: Evan Engram- This isn’t your typical Tight End. I know there were times when he looked lost with the Giants. Now, he’s in a much stronger offensive system with an offensive minded Head Coach. Looking at him now compared to his days with the Giants, he’s more fluid and confident in his route running. When the ball hits his hands, he has the mentality of a shifty Wide Receiver because of the quickness he displays. It’s always the yards after the catch that stand out. He’s become a nice weapon in this offense.
Final Thoughts: This is one of the games I’m looking forward to the most! These two met back in week three during the regular season and the Jaguars punched the Chargers in the mouth. Months later, here we go again (hence the title, pun intended). The key for Jacksonville is to get that running game going. They really struggled to generate much of anything on the ground against the Titans last weekend and in this game, the Chargers have been very shaky at stopping the run. A strong ground attack early on will help control the clock and keep that Los Angeles offense on the sidelines. The Chargers have the edge from a receiver standpoint and they will attack a Jacksonville secondary that has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game. This will be Jacksonville’s first home playoff game since 2018 and I expect that crowd to be rocking on Saturday night.
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Chargers 21
