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Two AFC playoff hopefuls face off in Florida this week, as Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars host Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. This is their first meeting since the 2022 wild-card matchup, where the Jaguars came back from down 27-0 to pull out the 31-30 victory.

The Jags are coming off a deflating 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans, in which they blew a franchise-record 19-point lead to backup quarterback Davis Mills. As for the Chargers, they blew out Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on "Sunday Night Football," 25-10. Los Angeles' defense held Pittsburgh to 221 total yards of offense, and they only were able to convert 2 of 11 third downs. 

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Let's break down this intriguing AFC showdown, but first, here's how you can watch the game.

Where to watch Chargers vs. Jaguars live

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 16 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Location: EverBank Stadium -- Jacksonville, Florida
  • TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Chargers -2.5; O/U 43.5 (via FanDuel)

Chargers vs. Jaguars: Need to know

  • Best weaponry in the NFL? Herbert has thrown for 2,610 yards in 10 games, which ranks second in the NFL behind Daniel Jones. While the Chargers have a talented quarterback, he has some talented weapons at his disposal. Four different Chargers have recorded at least 450 receiving yards this season. No other NFL team can say that. Ladd McConkey (631 yards) leads the team in receiving, Keenan Allen (539 yards) just broke the Chargers' all-time receptions record, Quentin Johnston (502 yards) is finally living up to the hype and tight end Oronde Gadsden II (466 yards) has certainly flashed in his first NFL season. The Jaguars secondary has their work cut out for them.
  • The race to hit Herbert. It's not tough to figure out the "X Factor" for this matchup. If Herbert can get the ball out quickly and not leave it to his banged-up offensive line to protect him for longer than three seconds, the Chargers should win this game. If Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen can wreak havoc, that bodes well for Jacksonville. Herbert is being hit 8.9 times per game this season, the third-highest rate for any quarterback in the last 20 seasons. He's the third-most sacked quarterback this season (33), but the Jaguars defense is tied for last in sacks (12). 
  • Travis Hunter is done for the year. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft won't return this season, as the Jaguars announced this week that he underwent surgery to repair his LCL after injuring his knee in practice two weeks ago. 
  • Lawrence's new weapon. The Jaguars acquired wide receiver Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders at the trade deadline, and he made an instant impact with Brian Thomas Jr. out last week. In his first game with Jacksonville, Meyers led the team with 41 yards on three receptions, catching all three targets. That fact might've surprised (and delighted) Lawerence since his corps has dropped 31 passes this season, the most of any NFL club.

Chargers vs. Jaguars prediction, pick

You can understand why the Chargers are road favorites given what happened with these two teams last week, but the Chargers are 2-5 against the spread in their past seven games after starting the year 3-0 against the spread. L.A. has also failed to cover in three straight road games. I expect that trend to end on Sunday. This Jaguars offense has been inconsistent, and the defense disappointing. The Chargers have not been the most consistent team in the world either, but on paper, they are better. I'll take them to win on Sunday. Pick: Chargers -2.5, Under 43.5