JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The LA Charges jumped all over the Jacksonville Jaguars during Saturday night's Wildcard playoff game racking up an early 27-0 lead. Here are the plays that brought the Jags back extending the Big Cats' playoff life and Super Bowl aspirations. It certainly looks like this is a team of destiny!
The fourth-seeded Jags came into Saturday night's game on a five-game win streak, while the fifth-seeded Chargers were coming off a road loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Jags received the opening kickoff. On the second play of the Jags opening drive, Trevor Lawrence was picked off on a tipped pass and the Chargers were set up in the red zone. Two plays later Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert handed off to Austin Ekeler who ran it in from 13 yards out for the touchdown to put the Chargers up 7-0 early. The Jags drove down into Chargers territory on their second drive but Trevor was picked off on fourth down and Los Angeles took over at their own 39-yard line still up 7-0. The Chargers drove it down inside the Jags 4-yard line but that’s as far as they got, as they had to settle for a 22-yard Cameron Dicker field goal to go up 10-0. After the Jags got the ball back, Asante Samuel Jr. got in front of Evan Engram and picked off Trevor Lawrence. A couple plays later Ekeler ran it in for a six-yard touchdown to put the Chargers up 17-0. LA led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.
With a little over seven minutes left before halftime, Justin Herbert threw a touchdown pass to Gerald Everett to give the Chargers a commanding 24-0 lead. The Jags were set to get the ball back after stopping the Chargers on Los Angeles' next offensive possession, but the Chargers' punt went off the helmet of Chris Claybrooks and the Chargers recovered at the Jags' 5-yard line. The Jags defense held strong to force a 23-yard Cameron Dicker field goal to make it 27-0 Chargers with 4:25 to go before the half.