4 interceptions by Trevor Lawrence, down 27-0, the Jaguars win a thriller at home against Los Angeles
Jacksonville, FL– At one point this game seemed over. We were already treated to a blowout earlier in the day with the 49ers 41-23 rout of the Seattle Seahawks, this game felt like another one for 30 minutes. 4 interceptions by Trevor Lawrence, including one on the first pass of the game set the tone for the first part of the game, and drove Jacksonville into a 27-0 hole at halftime.
Then, Jacksonville chipped away. Despite a special teams blunder by Jaguars special teamer Chris Claybrooks with the football bouncing off his helmet on a punt return, the Jags overcame what seemed like an insurmountable lead. With their backs against the wall, Jacksonville relied on their playmakers. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw 4 touchdown passes on 4 straight drives, giving Jacksonville a 28 point unanswered run.
With 5:25 left to go and Duval down 28-30, Trevor Lawrence seemed to shake off any doubts that may have arisen over a half of terrible QB play and drove the Jaguars on a 10-play, 68-yard drive that set up a game winning field goal kick as time expired.
Trevor Lawrence: Trevor Lawrence is exactly who we thought he was. Despite having a horrid first half with 4 interceptions, Lawrence bounced back well. He handled the game as well as a first time playoff quarterback could. Showing incredible resilience and poise in the second half, Lawrence didn’t allow the emotions of the game to hold him back, leading an amazing comeback for the ages.
Despite how improbable the comeback seemed, it eerily reminded us of the 2014 NFC Championship game between the Seahawks and the Packers where Russell Wilson gave away the ball 4 times en route to a 16-point comeback versus Aaron Rodgers and the red hot Packers.
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The odds were never in Jacksonville’s favor– the last team to give up the ball five teams in the first half of a playoff game was the 1999 Miami Dolphins versus Jacksonville, an uncanny statistic. Jacksonville went on to win that game 62-7, a score that was the exact opposite of the game we witnessed on Saturday.
What Went Wrong For the Chargers?: It was a tale of two halves for Los Angeles, with Justin Herbert being relegated severely in the second half by a enlightened Jacksonville defense. Herbert finished the game 25-for-43 with 273 yards and one touchdown, an abysmal statline compared to his red hot start.
Asante Samuel showed promise, intercepting Lawrence 3 times, but couldn’t find much success in the second half. The defense regressed against a raging Jaguars offense who had no reason to play conservatively and played risky offense, a gamble which ultimately paid off.
Perhaps the epitome of the Chargers’ blunders in the second half lies in a 4th-and-1 late in the game where the Chargers clogged the middle, but running back Travis Etienne scampered with an outside zone to the 16-yard line sealing the game for the Jaguars. What’s interesting is the offensive formation the Jaguars chose to run out of– the Wing T! Glad to see we’re bringing back the classics.
Cameron Dicker also missed a crucial field goal in the 4th quarter that would’ve mandated that the Jaguars score a touchdown to win, not just a field goal, the contention point where it felt like all the momentum was on the teal and gold sideline.
Questions have now arose about Brandon Staley’s future in Los Angeles and his questionable calls during the game. Staley has failed to do much of anything with a stacked roster and young talent Justin Herbert. Failing to make the playoffs in 2021, Staley’s scrutiny hasn’t exactly gotten much better after his latest debacle. Jacksonville advances to the Divisional Round and Trevor Lawrence will attempt to replicate his second half performance next week against whoever Jacksonville faces up against.
