"We've struggled" - Doug Pederson explains key to overcoming Chargers hurdle ahead of Wild Card showdown
Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night in the wildcard round of the playoffs. This will be the second time the two teams will meet this season, with the Jagaurs taking a 38-10 victory over them in Week 3.
The Jags defeated their divisional-rival, the Tennesse Titans, last week to earn the AFC South title, resulting in them hosting the Chargers this Saturday. While they won 20-16, they struggled to run the ball, only totaling 17 yards for the game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are AFC South Division champs and playoff bound after beating the Tennessee Titans 20-16 on Saturday night. apne.ws/GMemCJU
Pederson spoke about the importance of establishing a run game early on vs. the Los Angeles Chargers
Pederson said:
“Yeah, we’ve struggled there the last couple of weeks. Of course, we’ve played some really good run defenses and it’s rightfully so. That’s something that we try to establish each weekend if we can, and this will be no different if we try to do that. This is another good front we’re playing, obviously good against the pass. We’ve got to try.”
Luckily for the Jaguars, it shouldn't be difficult to establish a run game. The Chargers rank in the bottom five in run defense and will feature Travis Etienne more than they did in their regular-season matchup.
Travis Etienne has had 5 100-yard rushing games since Week 6 (tied for 2nd-most in NFL). The #Chargers rank in the bottom five in run defense.
Khalil Mack telling me they need to "do everything we can to stop the run." https://t.co/fGBMq9BzEB
Doug Pederson is excited to be back in the postseason
Pederson knows a thing or two about the postseason, as he's won a Super Bowl before with the Philadelphia Eagles.
When asked if he was excited to be back in the playoffs, he answered with enthusiasm and hoped the entire team gets recognized for their hard work.
Pederson said:
"I’m excited. I’m excited for the team. Take me out of it and I’m excited for the guys. They’ve worked really hard to put themselves in this position and where they’ve come from just says a lot to the leadership of the group. I’m happy for them. It’s definitely a team effort, it’s usually the head coach and the quarterback who get the praise and the blame. Hopefully we get the praise.”
The Jags will be making their first playoff appearance since 2017. The team finished last season 3-14 and boasted the number-one overall pick. Doug Pederson is excited to bring back a winning culture to a franchise that was desperately in need of it.
If you sue any of the above quotes, please credit Doug Pederson and H/T Sportskeeda.