‘It Just Comes Down to Execution’: Jaguars' Preparation Won't Change vs. Chargers

With new faces in the mix since their Week 3 encounter, the Chargers are a team that the Jaguars are familiar with.

Playoff football is here and the Jaguars are set to kick off Super Wild Card Weekend with a matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers squad they previously did battle with earlier in the regular season.

This also marks the second straight week that the Jaguars play on a Saturday. For last week’s matchup, it was a bit of an adjustment period in terms of the weekly schedule, but Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson noted that there has since been a sense of comfort.

“Going back to the Houston game, being able to get some guys out of that football game to get them a little bit of rest going into that Tennessee week,” Pederson said. “Everything went well. We had a good week of preparation, guys handled it. Even though it was a little bit of a shorter time frame for us, but the guys handled it well. Good week of prep. Did a nice job. They’re comfortable with that schedule.”

Recent play from this Chargers squad will be at the forefront of film study as the Jaguars look to put together a complete game plan for Saturday night’s tilt. Additionally, head coach Doug Pederson made clear that film from their previous encounter will be critical to their preparation.

“I think you kind of go back and you watch it and you see, just from an X’s and O’s standpoint and personnel standpoint kind of how we attack them and how they attacked us, both sides of the ball and special teams,” Pederson said. 

“Then you kind of look at the whole body of work since, and if there’s anything that’s changed and why it’s changed and then you put your game plan together that way according to that. It’s a good football team. They’ve got a great young quarterback as well, and I know they’ll be ready to go. They’re looking forward to this opportunity just like we are.”

At this stage of the season, each team features new faces that weren’t accounted for the last time these two teams faced off. For the Jaguars coaching staff, these are important factors to consider but it’ll ultimately come down to execution if they want to keep their hopes at making a playoff run alive.

“That was a long time ago,” Pederson said when asked about how much the Chargers have changed since Week 3. “There’s some new faces on their side. There’s some new faces on our side. 

"Schematically, probably both the same with us and with them. Again, we’ve talked about it a lot, you’re not going to trick anybody. It just comes down to execution, both sides, them and us. I’m looking forward it, watching our guys on this type of stage. We haven’t been there, this team, and obviously, it’ll be a great atmosphere, home game for us and really looking forward to watching our guys perform.”