After one half of play for the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday night, everyone in the NFL world started to pencil in the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Round. Trevor Lawrence looked like a pumpkin. Jacksonville’s defense couldn’t buy a stop. And Doug Pederson seemingly had no answers in front of a shell-shocked crowd while chasing a 27-0 deficit.
My, my, how quickly matters can shift in just over 30 minutes of play. Instead of surrendering and letting the perennially cursed Chargers cruise and advance, a 36-yard Riley Patterson field goal saw the Jaguars pull off the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history to win 31-30 as time expired. And by the time the dust settles on this one, Brandon Staley might no longer be employed by L.A.
That’s because it’s the first time ever an NFL team has won a playoff game despite having a -5 turnover margin:
this is the FIRST TIME IN NFL PLAYOFF HISTORY a team was +5 in turnover margin and lost the game
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 15, 2023
How did the Jaguars pull off the miracle? And how did the Chargers keep the door open for their own epic collapse? Let’s break the eight essential steps down — in order — as Jacksonville celebrates one of the wildest mid-January victories in pro football lore.