JACKSONVILLE – New week, same story.
That wasn't close to a good story for the Jaguars, and Sunday felt too much like others written by Jaguars opponents in recent weeks.
Longtime Jaguars nemesis Philip Rivers was nearly perfect, passing for three touchdowns and no interceptions. That wasn't the only meaningful statistic, but it explained at least part of what happened in the Los Angeles Chargers' 45-10 victory over the Jaguars in front of 57,866 at TIAA Bank Field Sunday afternoon.
"We've got three games left, and no one is coming to help us," Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone said. "Everyone is playing. So, we've got to keep playing and find a way to get this done."
Rivers, the Chargers' 16-year veteran quarterback who had been intercepted 15 times this season entering the game, completed 16 of 22 passes for 314 yards and the three touchdowns. He was not intercepted and the Jaguars did not force a turnover.
Rivers is now 8-1 against the Jaguars since 2010.
The Jaguars (4-9) lost a fifth consecutive game, and have been outscored 174-57 in that span. The Chargers improved to 5-8.
Gardner Minshew, the Jaguars' rookie quarterback who went 4-4 as a starter earlier this season, made his first start since being named the starter over Week 1 starter Nick Foles earlier this week. Minshew replaced Foles in a loss to Tampa Bay last week – Foles' third consecutive start after returning from a broken clavicle sustained in the regular-season opener.
Minshew led a field-goal drive on the game's first possession Sunday, but the Jaguars' offense and defense both struggled after that.
"It obviously sucks," Minshew said. "We're going to band together now more than ever. We'll grind it out and get better this week and see where it goes next Sunday."
Minshew, a sixth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, completed 24 of 37 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. His touchdown pass – a 14-yarder to tight end Nick O'Leary – came with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter and cut the Chargers' lead to 31-10.
"I'd chalk it up to execution," Minshew said. "The first drive had a little momentum, we were hitting. Then we kind of got off schedule. We had some tough third downs that we didn't convert and didn't stay on the field when we could have."
The Chargers outgained the Jaguars, 525-252, and led 24-3 at halftime and 38-10 after the third quarter. Chargers running back Austin Ekeler rushed for 101 yards on eight carries and Chargers running back Melvin Gordon rushed for 55 yards on 12 carries.
Ekeler finished with 213 total yards and also had 112 yards receiving on four receptions.
The Jaguars registered one sack Sunday – by defensive end Calais Campbell in the first half.
"That one hurt," Campbell said of the loss. " "It feels worse than the other ones. I don't even know what to say."
