Chargers and Jaguars are both different

(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Chargers are not the same team they were in Week 3 when they lost by a decisive margin to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars beat the Chargers handily, winning 38-10 at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers play Jacksonville again. This time it’s for a chance at a run toward Super Bowl LVII.

That potential run for the Chargers begins on the road with a second-year head coach and a third-year quarterback, both of whom are making their first appearance in the postseason. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is excited to have this opportunity.

“It’s really special,” Staley said. “You dream your whole life to be able to compete at the highest level in sports. That was always my dream, as a young kid, was to be able to compete at the highest level in sports, and to be on this type of stage where the best of the best are in one tournament, that’s where you want to be. I’ve experienced being in the playoffs before at the other places that I’ve been.

“That is certainly the case when you make it to the playoffs; it’s the very best players, the very best teams, the very best coaches, the very best organizations. That’s where you find out a lot about where you are. We’re excited that we’re here. Like I said, it’s just the beginning.”

So, what’s different between the Chargers now and way back in September? A lot. The team appears to be healthy. Los Angeles ended the season winning four of their last five games. Notwithstanding losing their final game of the regular season against AFC West Division rival Denver, the Chargers, as a team, have been making plays down the stretch.

Let’s start with No. 10. This is Justin Herbert’s first playoff game. But if the way he has played this season as well through his brief career is an indication, the moment is not too big for the former Oregon Ducks stalwart. Herbert finished the 2022 season as the No. 2 quarterback in the NFL with 4,739 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Herbert has passed for 4,000 yards or more in his first three seasons.

Staley has nothing but reverent praise for his star quarterback and his abilities as a passer.

“I think that Justin’s whole life, he has performed well in these types of games, these types of environment,” Staley said. “His last season at Oregon, he did about all you could do, as a college player. He has always played his best when the stage is the biggest. That is how his career has been in the NFL. In primetime, the big games he has had for the first three years, he has always risen to the occasion because that is the type of competitor that he is.

“Now, just getting to that stage where he is joining up with his teammates, and there is a team around him that is really excited to compete and be a team out there. He is going to have a good week of practice, like he always does. I know that he will be ready to play.”

The Chargers are not the only team that has transformed itself. Like the Chargers, the Jaguars ended their season on a roll, winning six of their last seven games. Jacksonville’s hot streak helped earn the Jaguars the AFC South title and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.

At one point in the season, Jacksonville looked like the embarrassment of the league, going on a five-game losing streak and dropping six of seven games in the middle portion of the season. Staley is well aware that this is a much different Jacksonville team than the one his team faced in Week 3.

“They are a different team,” Staley remarked. “They have been through a lot since the game we played them. Their season was kind of a rollercoaster, as well. They were 2-6 at one point, and then really got hot at the end. I think our seasons are probably similar that way in that we played our best football at the end. They’re a complete football team; offense, defense and special teams. What makes a team a formidable team, those elements are still there, and they’ve improved. We have a lot of respect for this football team.”

Looking at Jacksonville is almost looking at the Chargers. Both teams have franchise-type quarterbacks (Trevor Lawrence). They both have solid runners (Austin Ekeler for the Chargers; Travis Etienne for Jacksonville) and capable playmakers on the outside (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams for the Chargers; Christian Kirk for Jacksonville). The Chargers and Jacksonville both have an outstanding defensive front seven.

In a nutshell, the Chargers and Jaguars are nearly identical in their makeup. The AFC wild-card game between the two teams will likely come down to special teams and whoever makes the fewest turnovers. Another advantage for Staley and the Chargers would be leaning on the postseason experience of veteran players like Keenan Allen, Corey Linsley, Kyle Van Noy, and Khalil Mack.

“That type of experience, where it’s your brothers that have gone through it — it’s always the most impactful, the players who have gone through it,” said Staley. “I think that we have a really good combination on our coaching staff of guys who have been in Super Bowls and guys that have been in the NFL Playoffs, National Championship Games in college. You lean on all of that experience. Our players know that.”