Jacksonville Jaguars are in the Divisional Round. That is not something I ever thought I would say in 2023. The Jags set the world on fire just by making the playoffs. Upsetting the Chargers made it burn even more. They now head into Kansas City on Saturday to attempt to knock off the Chiefs. While it isn’t an impossible feat, it will undoubtedly be a difficult one. Let’s rewind that tape on the Jag’s miracle comeback.
Trevor Lawerence has never lost on a Saturday. That might be one of the most ridiculous stats I have ever read. He stayed perfect on Saturday after being down 27 at one point in the game. He also threw 4 INTs in the loss, but still was able to comeback and somehow get the win. Lawrence’s composure was impressive in the comeback win, there aren’t many QBs who can withstand a 4 interception game. Jacksonville scored on all four of their second-half possessions which totaled 24 points. Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are also essential pieces in the Jacksonville offense.
Down the stretch, both of them were making important plays that were able to keep drives moving down the field. Both of them along with Evan Engram finished with over 70 receiving yards. Travis Etienne Jr. is the last piece of the offense with 109 yards rushing in the victory. While the Jags were focused on throwing the ball to get points on the board, Etienne was another element that the Chargers had to worry about. He would be the one that made the biggest play of the game on 4th and 1 and the game on the line.
Let’s move to the other side of the ball. While I would love to give some credit to the Jacksonville defense, the blame is primarily on the Charger’s offense. The Jaguars played great don’t get me wrong, but there is a reason the Chargers don’t have an offensive coordinator right now. I will say that this defense is good enough to compete with the better teams if the offense flows. They will have to create some stops in order to have a chance to upset KC.
The Chiefs are a mighty opponent for an underdog team like the Jags, but anything is possible in the NFL playoffs. The Browns almost made a run at Kansas City with another number-one pick in Baker Mayfield at the helm. The most important thing for Jaxonville will be controlling the clock. That means long drives down the field that result in touchdowns, not field goals, touchdowns. If they don’t find the end zone, they will lose the game. The defense is more than capable of making a few stops, they have shown that throughout the season. I put the pressure on the offense. They can’t make mistakes and they have to score if they want to pull another upset. At the end of the day, that is too much to ask of such a young team. I can not sit here and tell you that any part of me thinks Jaxonville can execute at such a high level. They will score in this game, but it will not be enough to win this game. Then again, anything can happen in the playoffs.
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