Gene Frenette: Jaguars ushering in "different" era with smackdown of L.A. Chargers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — On what felt like a potential franchise-turning-the-corner day, Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen wouldn’t even let me finish the question about that subject. He anticipated where the inquiry was going, then repeatedly punctuated his response with the same two words.

“We’re different,” said Allen. “We’re different, Gene. We’re different. This team we have right now is currently built to win. You know what I’m saying? We attack it each day as such.”

While last week’s goose-egg victory inflicted on the Indianapolis Colts might not have turned heads nationally, following it up Sunday with one of the most incredibly dominant performances in Jaguars history should now at least get some of the NFL’s attention.

More from the Jags' win

• Game recap: A look back at Jaguars vs. Chargers

• Looking good: Four takeaways from Jacksonville Jaguars dominating victory over Los Angeles Chargers

• Clean, efficient, deadly: Jaguars offense hums like a well-oiled machine in last two games

If any of the critics who relished kicking this team when it was down for so long thought it would come out to the West coast and be the same ol’ pushover Jags, this has to be an eye-opener.

The following numbers are not a misprint: Jaguars 38, Los Angeles Chargers 10.

Not that anyone is making playoff reservations for “Duuuval” just yet, but the Jaguars plainly served notice Sunday at So-Fi Stadium that any resemblance to the past decade of mostly insufferable misery may be over for a while.

A suffocating defense wouldn’t let the Chargers run or permit their prized gunslinger quarterback, Justin Herbert, to throw the ball to many open targets.

Having to be a little protective of his impaired rib, Herbert often found himself throwing balls away early to avoid heavy contact. Allen did a lot to make him skittish at times with a career-high eight QB pressures.

If that wasn’t scary enough, the Jaguars’ offense overcame some early red-zone woes to wear out the Chargers, resulting in their biggest home loss since the New England Patriots thrashed them 45-0 in 2020.

Trevor showing growth

For Trevor Lawrence, this might serve as a bit of a coming-out party, the way he methodically finished off the Chargers in the second half by leading touchdown drives of 75, 60 and 68 yards.

When asked if Lawrence’s confidence is taking a dramatic step upward, receiver Zay Jones (10 catches, 85 yards) replied: “I think he is, you see it, you watch it. This was a great matchup between two young quarterbacks and Trevor stepped up to the challenge.

“I know last year and years before, the team has taken a lot of heat. I feel as though we’re coming together, moving in the right direction. Trevor is leading us and I think he did a phenomenal job today. I’m very proud of him.”

Lawrence completed 19 of his last 22 passes — one of which was a drop by JaMycal Hasty and another a TD pass to Evan Engram overturned on review — and has sent a message the past two games that his growth might soon be going into overdrive.

His 6-1 ratio of touchdowns-interceptions is second in the league behind only the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. His only three QB ratings above 100 have taken place in his last four starts.

“To see our offense respond and put together three scoring drives, and our defense on the flipside to stop them all the time, it was awesome,” Lawrence said. “We played a complete game. To stack two weeks in a row is big to us.”

No excuses, just dominance

There may be some naysayers who point to the Chargers’ injury list — already down receiver Keenan Allen and center Corey Linsley, then seeing pass-rusher Joey Bosa (groin) and left tackle Rashawn Slater (biceps) exit — as a way of diminishing the Jaguars’ victory.

It’d be a bogus argument. This beatdown of the Chargers was too thorough to be reaching for such ludicrous alibis.

Teams in the AFC South and beyond are simply going to have to acknowledge the Jaguars are ascending, even if their Super Bowl-winning coach now running the show is still tapping the brakes a bit on that.

“I still think it’s too early,” said Doug Pederson. “Obviously, I’m proud of these guys, the way they work during the week. They’re beginning to see just what it takes to win in this league. It takes hard work and preparation.

"They’re starting to come together as a football team and that’s all I can ask for. This is what I told them, If they continue to do the little things right, good things can happen to this football team and today was an example of that."

More great than good

Many of the things that happened against the Chargers leaned more toward great than good. Beyond Lawrence’s efficiency and high completion percentage, running back James Robinson took a fourth-and-1 handoff on the game’s pivotal play, dashed through a wide opening off the left side, and went untouched for a 50-yard touchdown and a 23-10 Jaguars’ lead.

Thanks to a well-designed call that was perfectly executed, you could pretty much see the Chargers were done after that.

“When I looked back up, [Robinson] was gone,” said offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. “I just started to celebrate. It feels amazing to reap the benefits of the work we put in.”

It was textbook complementary football in every phase. Mike Caldwell’s defense put on another lockdown clinic, continuing its propensity of creating turnovers that set an early tone for the ultimate rout.

The Jaguars got 10 points off two first-half turnovers, stretching their NFL-leading turnover margin to plus-7. In that department, the Jaguars have completely reversed last season’s trend when they were dead last at minus-20.

“We’re intentional in everything we do. Great teams are intentional in everything they do,” Allen said. “When the ball’s in the air, we’re going to get it, the receivers or the running backs. On defense, we’re intentional on punching that ball out. We think takeaways every day, even in walkthrough [practices], we think takeaways.”

Defensive stars in the making

Nobody on defense had a more impactful game than rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd, who had three pass breakups and an interception. With the Jaguars’ other first-round draft pick, Travon Walker, off to an equally impressive start, Allen can’t wait to see how the season plays out for those promising building blocks that he calIs “dogs.”

“I feel like those two, one of them is definitely going to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and it’s going to be a race to it,” said Allen. “Devin right now is playing remarkable. Travon is in his groove and once that groove gets going, it’s going to be hard to stop that man.

“We’re riding out the momentum of our young guys. They’re making big plays for us. That’s what we want them to do, that’s what we expect them to do. They’re doing it as well as we could hope for.”

Nothing about the Jaguars’ reaction to this convincing victory indicates they’re getting too full of themselves. The truth is they feel the results so far are matching their expectations.

Backup offensive lineman Tyler Shatley, the longest tenured Jaguar in his ninth season, put it this way: “There’s times in the past when you’re winning two or three games a season, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, wow! We won.’ But now we’re expecting to win. That’s a good shift, the feel of that.”

This may take some adjusting for the rest of the NFL, so accustomed as it is to seeing the Jaguars as a pushover.

Certainly, snapping a 18-game road losing streak in such bold fashion — against a Chargers team that was 5-0 against them in southern California — gives next week’s matchup against the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles and Pederson’s former employer a lot more sizzle.

“They’ll be tuned in next week,” said running back Travis Etienne of the Jaguars-Eagles matchup. “It’s on us to play Jaguars-style football. We have to sustain this and let everyone know we’re for real.”

Maybe Week 3 in any topsy-turvy NFL season is too early to say any previously mediocre team is for real.

But one thing seems certain: these Jaguars sure look different.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540  

Gene Frenette Sports columnist at Florida Times-Union, follow him on Twitter @genefrenette

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Not same old Jaguars after West coast rout of Los Angeles Chargers