3 things to watch as Jaguars take on Chargers

Coming off a dominating win over the Indianapolis Colts at home to move to 1-1 on the 2022 NFL Season and sole first place in the AFC South. Next up for the Jaguars is an interesting game on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. While our friends over at DraftKings Sportsbook show the Jaguars as a dog in the game, I do think this is one that the Jaguars can go to the West Coast and steal.

There were some few key areas last week to both look for encouragement and something to work on, but there are some simple keys to the game that the Jaguars can focus on to hope for success against the Chargers.

Hit the Quarterback

A big key to the Jaguars win over the Colts was their pass rush, harassing quarterback Matt Ryan on nearly every passing play. Ryan was sacked 5 times, hit likely more than twice that, and picked off three times while under duress trying to pass the ball. Whether it’s an injured Justin Herbert or backup Chase Daniel, the Jaguars need to make sure they hit the quarterback hard and hit them often if they want to stop the Chargers offense.

Run the Ball

We said it last week and the Jaguars delivered; Run the ball. The Jaguars ran the ball 34 times against the Colts last week and while it wasn’t super effective, it kept the Colts on their heels, especially after the James Robinson touchdown run. The Jaguars didn’t crack 100 rushing yards, but maintaining the run game helped open up the passing game.

Protect the Ball

It’s kind of a “no duh” point, but in order to win against the Chargers on Sunday, the Jaguars are going to need to protect the football on the road. We see it time and time again, road teams don’t typically win games if they lose the turnover battle. The Jaguars for the most part have done well protecting the football, so if that can continue on Sunday against Los Angeles, it will go a long way to winning.

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