Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence scrambles against the Tennessee Titans last Saturday.
(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)
Jacksonville surged into the playoffs by winning seven of its final nine games.
During that stretch, Trevor Lawrence was the NFL’s highest-rated quarterback while throwing for 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has lost fumbles in three of the last four games, turnovers often a significant statistic in the most important games.
The Chargers, as with the Jaguars, are plus-five in turnover margin. Lawrence threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns when these teams met in late September. That day, Jacksonville scored 38 points, the most the Chargers yielded in a game during the regular season.
After four consecutive weeks of solid play, the Chargers melted down defensively last weekend at Denver. They have to hope the stink of that performance doesn’t linger.
The Jaguars’ top rusher is Travis Etienne Jr., who reached 1,125 yards during the regular season.
The Chargers have struggled to stop the run all season and are likely to give up more real estate on the ground in this game. Their best bet might be trying to replicate their showing against Miami in Week 14, when the Chargers met the Dolphins’ speed with physicality and befuddled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
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