2. Defense stays hot on 3rd downs
The Chargers defense had one of their worst performances of the season on third downs in Week 3 against the Jaguars.
Jacksonville converted eight of 15 tries, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence moving the chains six different times through the air.
Lawrence is among the quarterbacks who get rid of the ball quick in the pocket.
According to NFL NextGen Stats, Lawrence had the fourth-quickest average time to throw this season at 2.59 seconds. Against the Bolts in Week 3? He got rid of the ball even faster, posting an average time to throw of 2.39 seconds.
Linebacker Drue Tranquill explained the key to combating those quick throws.
“Well, you have to have your cleats in the grass and you’ve got to have good communication,” Tranquill said. “If you don’t have good communication, he’s going to have the ball out. He’s a really good player.”
Wait, what does ‘cleats in the grass’ mean?
“Guys have to be set. You can’t have guys running around trying to get their cleats in the grass, running around the formation with their hands in the air,” Tranquill said. “We have the phrase ‘cleats in the grass.’ I’m steady, I’m locked in, I’ve got my keys and I’m ready to play.”
In other words, be ready to do when the Jaguars break the huddle.
Third downs always weight heavy in the outcome of a game, and Saturday night should be no difference, especially considering both sides of the ball are playing well.
Over the final seven games of the season, the Chargers defense ranked first in DVOA on third downs at minus-0.436.
On the flip side, the Jacksonville offense put up a DVOA of 0.185 during the five-game win streak to close out the season. That metric ranked fifth in the NFL during that time span.
Tranquill said whichever team fares better on third downs will have a strong shot to win.
“We saw them once this season and they got the best of us,” Tranquill said. “We’re excited for Round 2.”
3. Win the battle on special teams
Everything is magnified in the playoffs,…
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