Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars at Chargers: Highlights, score and recap

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In an AFC showdown, the Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to San Diego to face the Chargers, and the Bolts lit up the Jags, 38-14.

For the second time in two weeks, the San Diego Chargers got out to a huge halftime lead against their opponent. In Week 1, the Chargers led the Kansas City Chiefs 21-3 after two quarters, but went on to lose the game. On Sunday, San Diego went into the locker room up 21-0, but this time hung on.

Philip Rivers shook off the loss of Keenan Allen by distributing the ball all over the field. In the first half, he hit Travis Benjamin and Antonio Gates for scores, while tossing for over 114 yards. Rivers’ first touchdown went to Benjamin, who will have to step up in the absence of Allen if San Diego is going to stay competitive. After a Melvin Gordon touchdown, his third in the first two weeks, Rivers hit old reliable for his second score, as Antonio Gates scored his first touchdown of the season.

In the second half, the Bolts continued their dominance, reeling off 14 unanswered points. Rivers hit Tyrell Williams for the first score, and then connected with Benjamin for the second time in the game. Jacksonville scored a nothing touchdown in the fourth to finally get on the board, but this game was complete domination by the Chargers.

In the end, the Chargers defeated the Jaguars 38-14, winning their first game of the season.

Highlights

3 Stars Prediction

1. Philip Rivers

Rivers absolutely carved up the Jacksonville Jaguars defense, throwing for four touchdowns in the game. Playing without his best wide receiver, Rivers used every weapon at his disposal, and led the Chargers to their first win of the season. He continues to be one of the best in the business.

San Diego got it going early, as Rivers threw two touchdown passes before halftime. He added another two dimes after the half, giving San Diego a lead that even they could not blow. In total, Rivers threw for only 220 yards, but he made the throws when he needed to.

Judging by the talent they have on offense, the Chargers should be able to hang with nearly every team in the AFC. They will always be in games as long as Rivers is under center, and he showed that he still has something left in his tank. He even got Antonio Gates in the mix, as the Chargers looked like they turned the clock back ten years on Sunday.

2. Travis Benjamin

Benjamin needed to step up for the Chargers to have any chance to win this game, and he certainly did. When the team lost Keenan Allen, they could’ve tried to change up their offensive scheme, but Benjamin would have none of that. He put together the best game of his NFL career, and will now be fully entrenched as Rivers’ top option going forward.

For the game, Benjamin hauled in six passes for 115 yards, while scoring twice. He looked like the player the Browns were hoping he would become during his time with the team. If he can continue to produce, the Chargers will be more than happy they picked him up in the offseason.

He still has the talent to be a top wide receiver for the Chargers, but will need to show consistency if he really is going to have a big season. He probably would have put a nice year together as a WR2 for the team, but now must step up and be the man in San Diego. If Sunday is any indication, the bigger role just may suit him well.

3. San Diego Defense

The San Diego defense came into the game fresh off of a complete let down in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. After leading the game 24-3, the Chargers defense sprang like a leaky faucet, and the Chiefs came all the way back to win in overtime. On Sunday, the Chargers got out to another huge lead, and this time, the defense hung on.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have an explosive offense, and boast one of the better wide receiver tandems in the AFC. They might have well not even shown up on Sunday, as the young secondary from San Diego kept both Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in check. Bortles’ threw two touchdowns, but they were in garbage time, and he was also picked off twice in the contest.

This defense is going to have its ups and downs, mostly because they are very young. The offense has the firepower to put up numbers, but the Chargers are only going to be as good as the defense allows it to be. Sunday was a great performance, but it may have been an anomaly.

Odds

The San Diego Chargers are favored by three points at home against the Jaguars. The over/under for the game is 47.5.

Next Week

San Diego will hit the road in Week 3, as they travel to Indianapolis to face Andrew Luck and the Colts. Jacksonville heads back home, where they host the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Flacco.

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