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Jacksonville Jaguars defense responds with 'wow' performance when they needed it most
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- Jacksonville Jaguars defense responds with 'wow' performance when they needed it most
Their fourth-quarter collapse seven days before was humiliating for the Jacksonville Jaguars ' defense. They had a 19-point lead, couldn't hold it and lost . Needed one stop, couldn't get it and lost.
And then the going was supposed to get really tough. Tough quarterback in the Los Angeles Chargers ' Justin Herbert , tight end in Oronde Gadsden and receivers in Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey .
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Instead, it was the Jaguars' defense that became tough to block, gain yards on and score points on.
What a fascinating turnaround we saw on Sunday, Nov. 16 from the deservedly-maligned Jaguars defense.
In their 38-6 rout of the Chargers , the Jaguars' defense was suffocating. They totally bottled up a highly-respected offense.
Consider this: The Chargers' 135 yards were the fifth-fewest total allowed in Jaguars history.
"Wow," linebacker Devin Lloyd replied.
It was a wow game from the front four, the criticized group who had struggled to gain pass-rush traction all season . It was a wow game from the linebackers, who combined for 10 tackles and two pass break-ups. And it was a wow game from the shorthanded secondary, which didn't have cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Eric Murray (neck injuries) and lost top cornerback Greg Newsome (right ankle) early on .
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Wow, indeed.
First play set tone
Would the Jaguars' defense start the game with the pulse it lacked to end last week's game? Would the Chargers march down the field in the first quarter like Houston did in the fourth quarter?
The first play told us — and the Jaguars and Chargers — how it would be.
Herbert ran a bootleg to his right … and right into defensive end Travon Walker . He didn't get the sack, but he did knock Herbert down and force an intentional grounding penalty. The Chargers went three-and-out.
MORE FROM O'HALLORAN: Jaguars' run game pounds Chargers, meaning there are more big games to come
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"That definitely set the tone," defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton said. "(Walker is) a great player and he's going to make great plays. To start the game like that set up the rest of the day for us."
The Chargers had eight first downs, tied for fifth-fewest allowed in Jaguars history.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) hurries Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) as he is called for intentional grounding during the first quarter of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
They had possession for 22 minutes, 5 seconds (fewest by a Jaguars opponent this year).
They didn't have a drive of longer than 35 yards.
And they ran three plays in the red zone.
"We started off with intensity and just kept that mindset throughout the game," linebacker Devin Lloyd said.
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How would Devin describe the Jaguars' preferred mindset?
"Physical, relentless, guys just playing smart and playing for each other," Lloyd said. "The best thing we hang our hat on is playing pissed off."
The Jaguars stayed in a bad mood from start to finish.
The key started up front.
We could see No. 41 ( Josh Hines-Allen ) and No. 44 (Walker) making a difference off the edges. We could see No. 92 ( Danny Striggow ) splitting a sack with Walker and No. 95 (B.J. Green) pummeling Herbert so hard on a sack that he was wrongly penalized by the officials. And the big guys inside, including Hamilton, kept the Chargers run game in check (42 yards).
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"We know they've been questioned and challenged and there you go, they responded to that," Lloyd said. "Really proud of them and we expect to build on that."
So what was the difference? Did it start right after the Houston game or did it linger until days before facing the Chargers?
"Shoot, it was right after the game," Hamilton said. "There was nothing you could do about it. You just have to look at what we could do better."
Sometimes, we forget the approach of a pro athlete. They live in a Now World, not a Yesterday World. What happened against the Texans stunk and stung and was inexcusable, but the Chargers loomed and that's what pros do — they gathered themselves and centered their focus on The Current Game, not The Last Game.
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"We knew it was about us," linebacker Dennis Gardeck said.
Season-saving defensive pivot
If the Jaguars keep playing this kind of defense, look out Arizona … and Tennessee … and the New York Jets … and yes, AFC South leader Indianapolis .
That's why beating the Chargers was so important. I was ready to put a wrap on this Jaguars' season if they lost to the Bolts, a 4-1 start slumping to 5-5. Not enough play-makers on defense, my rationale would have been. Too many injuries on defense, my conclusion would have been.
Instead, a pivot.
If the Jaguars' four-man rush is here to stay, look out. Everything will funnel through a defensive line that doesn't need help creating pressure. That's how defenses force turnovers and incompletions.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) gets a hug from a member of the Chargers coaching staff after the Jaguars defeated the Charger 35-6. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"Let those guys eat," safety Antonio Johnson said.
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If they munch, so does the whole defense.
Everything remains in the Jaguars' hands entering the final seven weeks. Keep winning, fellas. The schedule, at least we should assume, lightens up with the Cardinals and Titans coming up next. Yes, it's on the road, but the Jaguars have already won at San Francisco and Las Vegas this season.
If the Jaguars make the playoffs, they will have many memorable moments, but for the defense, their destruction of the Chargers will top the list. Especially if they build on it.
"It's always good when you play against a quality opponent and dominate from start-to-finish," Lloyd said. "Now we have a standard. This is going to be big for our team going forward."
Contact O'Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How Jacksonville Jaguars defense responded with domination vs Chargers
