Everything started perfectly for the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night in Jacksonville. Linebacker and Notre Dame product Drue Tranquill intercepted Trevor Lawrence on the second play of the game which led to an early Chargers touchdown. Before long it was 27-0 in favor of the Chargers and seemed like things were over.
It was just before halftime that former Clemson star and 2021 first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence started a turnaround for the ages. After completing just four of his first 12 pass attempts and throwing four interceptions in the first half, Lawrence guided the Jaguars down the field to score their first touchdown just before half.
From there Jacksonville’s defense tightened, allowing the Chargers to score just three points in the second half. That coupled with Lawrence playing to his potential meant bad things for the Chargers, who inexplicably ran the ball just eight times after taking that 27-0 lead.
Lawrence bounced back from those four interceptions to throw four touchdowns. The third-biggest comeback in NFL playoff history was capped when Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson hit from 36-yards as time expired, giving Jacksonville a 31-30 victory.
As a result, the Jaguars found their first playoff victory since January of 2018 when they went on to appear in the AFC championship. The Chargers collapse has their head coach Brandon Staley on the hot seat after countless questionable decisions led to the loss.
Former Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin, Jr. advances with the Jaguars as he’s part of their practice squad. Meanwhile, former Golden Domers Tranquill and safety Alohi Gilman saw their seasons come to an end with the defeat.
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