Jacksonville Jaguars vs. San Diego Chargers: Complete Week 4 Preview for Jaguars
I know it’s early and there isn’t much to be excited about after a 0-3 start for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but this week is the beginning of a new era.
As the Jaguars head to San Diego to play the Chargers at 1 p.m. EST, they’ll do so with rookie quarterback Blake Bortles leading the offense.
Bortles—14-of-24, 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in two quarters of play—will hope to spark an offense that is ranked 30th in the league in points per game and 31st in yardage.
On defense the Jaguars rank last in the league in every category and badly need a statement game. They’ll try to make that statement against an offense that ranks 13th in points per game.
The Chargers (2-1) will be led by the ageless Antonio Gates (14 receptions, 185 yards, three touchdowns this season) and veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, who has been having a great season as well, throwing six touchdowns and only one interception.
This may be the Jaguars' toughest matchup yet, and it comes at a time when they absolutely need a victory.
Week 3 Recap
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Week 3 was another blowout loss for the Jaguars, who lost to the Colts 44-17.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck absolutely torched the Jaguars' struggling defense as he completed 31 of 39 pass attempts for 370 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Colts defense amassed three sacks while forcing two turnovers.
Yet, somehow, the story of the day was surrounding the Jaguars.
After a first half where quarterback Chad Henne was only able to muster 33 yards and zero points, the Jaguars decided to turn to their rookie quarterback.
When the Jaguars took the field in the second half, they did so with Blake Bortles under center. Bortles provided an immediate spark to the offense on his way to 223 yards and two scores.
With Bortles under center, the offense was noticeably more aggressive and sparked big days from rookies Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, who combined for eight receptions, 142 yards and one touchdown.
Even though the Jaguars lost, the implementation of Bortles into the lineup provided some encouragement to the fanbase. If Bortles can show that he’s developing, he could be the key to this team being competitive again.
News and Notes
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Blake Bortles Will Make First Career Start
As noted earlier, Bortles replaced Chad Henne in Week 3. Now Chris Wesseling of NFL.com is reporting that Bortles will definitely be the starter for Week 4 against the Chargers.
Bortles is a gunslinger who isn’t afraid to be aggressive. Adding him into the lineup makes the team exponentially more dangerous.
Marqise Lee May Miss Week 4
According to Fox Sports, Marqise Lee may again be a scratch for this week’s game.
Lee has been struggling with a hamstring injury and is close to becoming an early bust. Lee has lacked explosiveness on the field, and now he may lose his spot to other young wide receivers because of his inability to stay healthy.
New Faces Emerge on Starting Defense
Michael DiRocco of ESPN is reporting that the Jaguars will be making some changes on defense for this week. The team will be substituting J.T. Thomas for LaRoy Reynolds and Josh Evans will get the starting nod in place of Winston Guy.
Reynolds and Guy have both struggled this season, but I’m not convinced Thomas and Evans are the answer. The truth is that the Jaguars are really weak at free safety and “Otto” linebacker, and this issue won’t be fixed until the offseason at the earliest.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
| Hayes, Geno | OLB | Non-football | DNP |
| Lee, Marqise | WR | Hamstring | DNP |
| Miller, Roy | DT | Ankle | DNP |
| Shuler, Mickey | TE | Illness | DNP |
| Ta'ufo'ou, Will | FB | Ankle | DNP |
Notes:
Alan Ball (abdomen), Toby Gerhart (ankle), Clay Harbor (calf), Allen Hurns (ankle), Austin Pasztor (hand) and Paul Posluszny (ankle) were all listed at full participants in practice as of Thursday, September 26.
All injury updates courtesy of Jaguars.com's injury report.
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Matchups to Watch
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Blake Bortles Versus Chargers’ Secondary
Bortles will be making his first start against a defense that has yet to register an interception. The Chargers defense is a stingy one that is led by Eric Weddle and Brandon Flowers. Bortles will have to stay calm and make smart plays to win this one.
Donald Brown Versus Jaguars’ Linebackers
Brown will be leading the Chargers' rushing attack against a Jaguars defense that has allowed 160 rushing yards a game.
The Jaguars are susceptible to cutback runners, and Brown could slash his way to a big day.
Johnathan Cyprien Versus Antonio Gates
Antonio Gates is experiencing a great run this season for the Chargers. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have been brutalized by tight ends like Niles Paul, Coby Fleener and Zach Ertz.
Gates is a trusted target of Philip Rivers and is in line for a big day. The Jaguars will likely shadow Gates with Cyprien, and if that works, they’ll have a legitimate shot at the upset.
Prediction
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The Chargers are a legitimate contender in the AFC this season. They have everything—a strong quarterback, great young talent and a tough defense. They pose a challenge more difficult than the Jaguars have come across yet this season.
The key for the Jaguars will be to control the ball with efficient offense and owning time of possession. I’m not sure that the Jaguars running game will be up to grind out the big gains they’ll need to chew clock; therefore, it could be an ugly day for the offense again.
Prediction: Chargers 27, Jaguars 17
All stats courtesy of NFL.com.
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