Breaking down most interesting possible NFL Wild Card matchups
By Ian Wharton
Lamar Jackson could repeat magic against Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are the most overqualified fifth seed in recent years. One reason for that is their Week 16 loss against Baltimore, where Lamar Jackson had his best career passing game despite a mediocre rushing day. The Chargers will travel to the winner of the AFC North no matter who emerges.
Jackson has completely reinvigorated John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie. His impact on the running game has been profound, and the Ravens have re-established their brand as a defensive-first, ball-control team that pulverizes teams in the trenches. There’s no way Joe Flacco could have provided anywhere near the same impact as Jackson has.
Though Jackson still has leaps to make as a consistent thrower and must protect the ball as a runner, he’s smart with the football in terms of decision-making. His ability to find big plays downfield is also a potential game-changer. He and fellow rookie Mark Andrews have combined to be a reliable duo thus far.
Baltimore will have to beat an upstart Cleveland team first, or else Pittsburgh just has to overcome a pathetic Bengals team to win the division. The Browns are to be respected, but have also been beating some of the worst teams in the league en route to their hot streak. Both teams will be playing with high energy and with something to prove.
The Chargers’ roster is arguably the best in the NFL. But they’ve continued to cost themselves with untimely plays and can’t be trusted until they prove capable of finishing on this stage. There’s an outside chance they could jump to the No. 1 seed, but it would take an unlikely Raiders upset of the Chiefs for it to be possible.
How the Chargers would attack Jackson in a rematch would be the most fascinating angle of this game. They defended Jackson’s run threat well, but Gus Edwards went off for 92 yards instead of Jackson doing the heavy lifting.
There’s also intrigue over Philip Rivers’ play in the spotlight. Rivers was dreadful against Baltimore’s elite defense and must be his usual precise and playmaking self to overcome the talented unit.