Jaguars vs. Chargers: 5 Questions and Game Predictions on Wild Card Bout

John and Brett debate how the Jaguars stack up against the Chargers in this weekend's Wild Card round.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be playing on a grand stage for the second time in two weeks on Saturday night, hosting the Los Angeles Chargers at TIAA Bank Field in the AFC's opening Wild Card slate. 

So, how do we at Jaguar Report see the Week 3 rematch playing out? John Shipley and Brett Hawn weigh in below.

1) Can the Jaguars slow down Justin Herbert? 

John Shipley: It will be a lot easier with Mike Williams out. Justin Herbert is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but even he has struggled to produce big numbers this year with the Chargers' limited skill group and conservative offensive structure. No Williams means the Chargers and Herbert will have no deep threat, shrinking the field and giving the Jaguars a chance to focus on stopping short, underneath passes. Herbert is a hell of a quarterback, but it will be hard to light the scoreboard up without Williams. 

Brett Hawn: With Mike Williams being officially ruled out for Saturday, the Chargers are short-handed at the wide receiver position. For the Jaguars secondary, not having to deal with an important weapon on that end will make life easier, but with a multitude of different weapons including the reliable Keenan Allen and do-it-all running back Austin Ekeler, containing Justin Herbert in the passing game will still be a tough task. Though Herbert doesn’t do it as often, he is able to scramble and utilize his legs when necessary, making it tough to bring him down. Expect the Jaguars to have their hands full.

2) Can the Jaguars' offensive line hold up against Bosa and Mack? 

John Shipley: I think so. I would be surprised if Joey Bosa doesn't make at least one big play, but I think the strength of the Jaguars' offensive line is on the edges as opposed to the interior. Jawaan Taylor had a great game against the Chargers in Week 3, and Doug Pederson's quick-hitting passing game should set Walker Little up for success.

Brett Hawn: Offensive tackles Walker Little and Jawaan Taylor will face a daunting task against two of the league's premier edge rushers. For the Jaguars' offensive line, this will be the first time that they truly face Bosa all season after he left early in their last contest with a core muscle injury. Despite the long layoff that came with that injury Bosa is still someone you have to keep an eye on and having Mack on the other side will certainly force the issue. Expect it to be a hard-fought battle in the trenches.

3) Who is the most important player on offense and defense? 

John Shipley: On offense, I will go with Travis Etienne. The Jaguars need a more balanced offense this week than they had last week in order to open up the entire playbook and give Trevor Lawrence every advantage he can get. The Chargers have a brutal run defense and there is no reason Etienne shouldn't have a big da, and they will need him to. 

Defensively, I think it is a combination of Andre Cisco, Tre Herndon, and the inside linebackers. With Mike Williams out, the Jaguars can devote their entire attention to the middle of the field and defending Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler. How the Jaguars' secondary and linebackers hold up to that challenge will play a big part in determining who wins.

Brett Hawn: Offensively, the Jaguars will go as far as Trevor Lawrence goes this week going against quarterback Justin Herbert and a dynamic Chargers offense. I fully expect this one to be a high-scoring affair and one that Lawrence will need to be at his best for the Jaguars to ride into the divisional round. Defensively, Josh Allen has been a man on a mission these last few weeks and the Jaguars defense will benefit greatly from his continued excellence in rushing the passer and forcing turnovers. The latter will be important to getting critical stops against a top NFL offense. 

4) Biggest storyline entering Sunday? 

John Shipley: Can Trevor Lawrence keep pace with Justin Herbert? 

There is more to this weekend's game than the two quarterbacks, but there is a reason they are the star attraction entering Saturday. Lawrence, for right now, is chasing Herbert when it comes to the AFC arms race and quarterback hierarchy. If he can keep pace and even exceed Herbert's production on Saturday for the second time in one year, the Jaguars won't just win, but Lawrence's stock will skyrocket. 

Brett Hawn: How will this young Jaguars squad respond in the playoffs?

For many of these Jaguars, this is their first time on the big stage and they will be tested in a big way at home against a familiar opponent. How they handle themselves will be a major indicator for the direction that this team is heading.

5) Score prediction?

John Shipley: I was already prepared to pick the Jaguars because I like how their offense matches up against the Chargers' defense, and the Mike Williams injury makes me even move the points a bit. Jaguars 33, Chargers 24. 

Brett Hawn: The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in football and I fully expect that to continue here though it will come down to a late-game field goal.

Jaguars 31, Chargers 28