JACKSONVILLE – This is a tough test. Really, really tough.
How tough is the Jaguars’ Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers? Enough that it’s easy to miss which team is the division leader.
That team is the Jaguars, who lead the AFC South at 1-1. They moved into first place with a knockout win against the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank Field last Sunday. They have not led the division themselves since Week 2 of the 2018 season.
The Chargers, also 1-1, are in second place in an AFC West that is expected to be among the toughest divisions in the NFL in 2022 – and the Chargers should also be contending for the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl.
It is a mature and balanced team with great offensive players. Among them: Justin Herbert, a third-year veteran considered one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. They’re also talented as receivers (Mike Williams, Keenan Allen) and running backs (Austin Ekeler), and equally talented defensively with passers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and safety Derwin James, all All-Pro level players.
That talent makes the Chargers easily the toughest test of the Jaguars season to date. They will also likely be one of the toughest matchups of the Jaguars season, and not just because the Jaguars have never won on the road in this series.
But a tough test isn’t impossible to win, particularly considering that Jaguars look and perform like a rapidly improving team that believes in itself. What do the Jaguars have to do to win on Sunday?
