The San Diego Chargers Will Lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert, QB of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is 2-7 as a starter. Mel Tucker, the Head Coach of the Jaguars, is 0-0 in that capacity. These two facts, paired with Jacksonville's worst-in-the-league offense (in terms of points and yardage), would lead you to believe that the San Diego Chargers can win on Monday night. They can not.

A change at Head Coach midseason can often times lead a team to be extra motivated, feeling like their job is on the line as well, at least in the first game. Being under the spotlight of Monday Night Football will only work to amp Jacksonville up further. It could lead to them landing flat on their face, but in all likelihood it won't. Here's why: Mel Tucker is the only person worth believing in on this Jaguars coaching staff.

Tucker has been around for a few years as a Defensive Coordinator. He did it for a year in Cleveland (under Romeo Crennel) and then for the last three seasons in Jacksonville. Seeing as how those guys called their own defensive plays, Tucker was similar to Clarence Shelmon (the Chargers' Offensive Coordinator, in case you were wondering). After the team finished with the 28th worst defense in 2010, and with his job on the line, Jack Del Rio handed play-calling duties over to Tucker.

Since then, with roughly the same group of players, Tucker has turned the Jaguar defense around. They are currently ranked 4th in yards allowed and 5th in points allowed, and have come to be feared by opposing Offensive Coordinators. Paired with Kassim Osgood on Special teams, the Jaguars are a better team than the 2011 Chargers in 2 out of the 3 phases of the game.

Based on what we've seen from the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders and Jets, this San Diego team can be beaten easily if your team can avoid mistakes, win on defense and win the field position battle. Blaine Gabbert, who you would think would be the prime candidate to turn the ball over for Jacksonville, has turned the ball over more than once in a game only twice this season (against two of the best defenses in the league: the Bengals and Texans).

Expect something similar to Sunday's game against the Broncos when the Chargers go cross-country to take on the Jaguars. The Jaguars' defensive will stop the San Diego offense, and they'll win the field position battle (and possibly the turnover battle) to escape with a close, late-game victory.