In the last five seasons, the only three-game winning streak for the Jacksonville Jaguars came in 2013 after the team was well out of postseason contention following an 0-8 start. But if the team can earn a third straight win by beating the San Diego Chargers in Week 12 on Sunday, it would keep the Jaguars very much in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
Chargers vs. Jaguars 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Jaguars are looking to stay in the playoff hunt with a third straight win, while the Chargers are trying to pull out of a tailspin and avoid a seventh consecutive loss.
In the AFC South, the Jaguars are one game behind the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, who are tied for the division lead with matching 5-5 records. The Jaguars are also just behind the 5-5 Buffalo Bills for the second spot in the AFC Wild Card battle, which features a long list of teams still in the race.
Things are very different for the Chargers, who are still looking to come out of a tailspin that has the team contending for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft rather than a berth in the playoffs. A six-game losing streak has the Chargers tied with the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans for the NFL's worst record, although the Browns currently own the strength of schedule tiebreaker for the top pick.
After a Week 10 bye, the Chargers had their worst performance of the season, losing 33-3 to the Kansas City Chiefs and managing just 201 yards of total offense. While Philip Rivers is second in the NFL in passing yardage, behind only Tom Brady, the Chargers are No. 30 in rushing and finding running room against the Jaguars could be tough. No team allows fewer yards per rushing attempt, but the Jaguars are No. 25 against the pass which means there could be room for Rivers to move the team with a passing attack.
The question will be whether the Chargers can slow the Jaguars' offense led by Blake Bortles. Only the New Orleans Saints allow more points and yards per carry than the Chargers, and the Jaguars have some dangerous young weapons at Bortles' disposal. Along with rookie running back T.J. Yeldon, who is averaging 65 yards per game, the team has a pair of dynamic young receivers, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns.
Robinson leads the team with 50 receptions for 871 yards and seven touchdowns, while Hurns is just behind with 44 receptions for 716 yards and seven touchdowns. The only two players in Jaguars franchise history to accumulate 1,000 receiving yards in a season are Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, neither of whom have played for the Jaguars in a decade.
Still, the resurgent Jaguars are just No. 23 in total offense and No. 20 in total defense. They squeaked by the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans in the last two weeks to improve to 4-6, so even against the 2-8 Chargers, the Jaguars are just 4.5-point favorites at home.
In seven all-time meetings between the two teams, the Chargers have a 5-2 lead, including wins in the last four matchups. While the Jaguars have never won a game in San Diego, the teams have split four meetings in Jacksonville, with two wins for each.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
TV: CBS
Commentators: Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
Online: NFL Game Pass
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