It wasn't an overstatement to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars had a huge game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. A loss would've vastly decreased their chances of making the playoffs, so they showed up ready to play... and they delivered. After running back Bhayshul Tuten reached the end zone in the first quarter to make it 7-3, the Jags kept putting points on the scoreboard and didn't stop. They ended up winning the game 35-6.
Maybe the prospect of getting knocked out of playoff contention was too much to bear and precisely what Jacksonville needed to put it all together. If that was the case, it worked. It led to arguably the team's most dominant display in a while. Liam Coen, for his part, was pleased with how the team stepped up in Week 11.
The Jaguars played with an edge vs. the Chargers and it showed
Liam Coen met with the local media after the game and said that he wasn't concerned with how the team would respond after the loss the week prior, pointing out that they used their frustration as fuel against the Chargers. Here's the skinny.
"I mean, you're questioning how you're going to respond, but it wasn't necessarily a huge concern. I don't think, I think you know what, I talked to you guys about a little bit the other day," Coen responded when asked if he was worried about the team's ability to bounce back (2:09). "It was a quieter week, and I think that was probably because we're pissed off at the finish last week, and we play better pissed off. We are."
Coen continued, "We've talked about edge for a long time now, and when we have an edge and we play as a team, and it's about the team all the time, good things happen, typically for us, and I am proud of the response, for sure. I wasn't really too concerned. It was just, 'Hey, man, you don't know we're all new together as a team, right? 'We're all so new, and so you're hopeful. You know that there was a focus level last night in the team meeting, I felt it, that these guys were going to come out pissed off today."
Playing pissed certainly worked for the Jaguars. They committed just one penalty and were credited with just one drop. On top of that, they dominated Los Angeles in both the offensive trenches.
• The Jags must be feeling great about the win. They must now build off of it and keep playing like that week in and week out if they want to solidify their chances of making the playoffs. With that in mind, here's the updated AFC playoff picture:
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The Jaguars have a wild card spot in the playoffs after trouncing the Chargers
• The Jaguars have one of the three wild-card spots in the AFC after beating Los Angeles. But despite the loss, the Chargers hold another one.
• The Indianapolis Colts had their BYE in Week 11. At 8-2, they have a two-game lead over the Jaguars in the division and currently hold the third seed in the playoff standings.
• The Denver Broncos remain at the top of the conference at 9-2. With a win over the Chargers, Jacksonville helped the Broncos widen their lead in the AFC West.
• The New England Patriots have a 9-2 record and have a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The former is the second seed, and the latter holds the third wild card spot in the conference.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-4 and lead the AFC North. They have a one-game lead over the 5-5 Baltimore Ravens, who are currently out of the playoff picture but remain in the race.
• The Houston Texans are one game behind the Jaguars, so the margin for error is narrow. The Kansas City Chiefs are also in the hunt but have losses to the Broncos and Chargers. Jacksonville beat them, too, in Week 5.