Jaguars Get Revenge on Chargers After Weeks of Fury
After a week marked by frustration and anger, the Jacksonville Jaguars demonstrated their power on the field, crushing the Los Angeles Chargers with a resounding 35-6 victory at EverBank Stadium. The defeat suffered the previous week against Houston, where they squandered a 19-point lead in the last quarter, left a deep scar on the team. Head coach Liam Coen noticed the intensity at the Saturday night meeting, and knew that the fury would be a catalyst.Sunday’s victory corroborated it. The Jaguars limited the Chargers to only 135 yards, the fifth-lowest figure in franchise history. In addition, for the first time since Week 2 of 2010, they did not punt and ran the ball 47 times, the fourth-highest amount in team history and the most this season. Despite significant losses, including their two main receivers, three of their best cornerbacks, two tight ends, their best offensive lineman (right tackle Anton Harrison), and their starting safety (Eric Murray), the Jaguars dominated the game. Josh Hines-Allen, who with a sack on Justin Herbert became the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks (56), expressed the importance of anger as motivation.“We play better when we’re angry.”
Liam Coen
The Jaguars’ dominance was evident on the offensive and defensive lines. They ran for 192 yards, their second-highest total of the season, and didn’t allow any sacks for the first time since Week 4. In addition, they sacked Herbert twice and pressured him on 48% of his passing plays until he was replaced in the final quarter. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the Jaguars’ superiority.“Being angry was great for us because we lost and the way we lost last week. At that moment, we needed to play angry”.
Josh Hines-Allen
This victory gives the Jaguars (6-4) the tiebreaker over the Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs, whom they beat in Week 5, in the race for the AFC playoffs. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence highlighted the importance of the game for the team’s aspirations.“They physically surpassed us… in all phases. They beat us in every possible way.”
Jim Harbaugh
However, a question arises: How will the Jaguars maintain that same intensity after a victory like this? Hines-Alen believes that the key lies in maintaining focus and attention to detail each week.“I think we all understood how important this game was today, as far as our team and where we’re at, and it’s a game you have to win playing against a good AFC team going into November, later in the season you start looking at your schedule and the games and you’re running out of opportunities”.
Trevor Lawrence
“We needed an extra motivational message after a defeat like that. But then again, it’s as if we were happy this week, how are we going to get angry? I don’t think that should be the motto. I think we have to take each week separately and have the same attention to detail that each player showed this week. That’s where our focus has to remain”.
Josh Hines-Alen
