How Jaguars Saved Their Season With Week 11 Domination of Chargers

The Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 11 win over the Los Angeles Chargers was a lot more meaningful than just any regular-season victory, for a variety of reasons.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) scores a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A lot can change in one week in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the perception of the team are the perfect example of the volatile nature of this league. This time last week, the Jaguars were put on fraud watch after blowing a 19-point lead against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter.

That collapse marked Jacksonville's third loss in four games. Allowing backup quarterback Davis Mills to erase a 29-10 deficit by leading three straight touchdown drives raised some serious concerns about the Jaguars on both sides of the ball, while also indicating that their 4-1 run to begin the season might have been fool's gold.

However, Jacksonville was able to bounce back in a big way, dominating the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12, 35-6, to move to 6-4 on the 2025 NFL season. They avoided falling back to .500, kept pace with the Indianapolis Colts, closed the gap on LA, and widened their lead on the Kansas City Chiefs, all in one game.

Nov 16, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen reacts to a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Jaguars' outlook much rosier now

Winning in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, in the dominant way they did, has changed everything for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Had they lost that game to drop two straight and four of their five, this team would have appeared to be a lock to drop out of the AFC playoff picture and conceded their spot to the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, or any one of the other challengers in the conference.

Now, they're actually favored to punch a postseason ticket, especially since they beat a fellow Wild Card occupant and won in the same week that the Chiefs dropped another game. ESPN has given Jacksonville a 64 percent chance to make the playoffs. Getting that game against the Chargers has even opened the door for the Jaguars to still win the AFC South, listed at 18 percent odds.

They control their own destiny now and could overtake the Indianapolis Colts in the standings, especially if they get some help from the rest of the league. NFL.com's Ali Bhanpuri has advised the Indy faithful to proceed with caution:

"...the Colts' fan base has waited a long time for the team's return to prominence. But they can't size up the banners yet, as the division probability numbers indicate. Although Indy has a firm lead entering Week 12, the team will be tested with the fourth-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL (.577). They'll have to endure two rounds with both the Jags and Texans over the final seven weeks, while also taking on the likes of Kansas City, Seattle and San Francisco."

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