The up-and-down Chargers have faced two rugged defenses this season in Philadelphia and Denver, but Sunday's opponent is seen in-house as the toughest test yet.
The Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bolts coach Anthony Lynn summed up their sack-happy opponent as the "biggest challenge of the season" for Philip Rivers and friends, per The Los Angeles Times.
It's tradition to pump up your next foe, but Lynn doesn't need to spin what Jacksonville has done. The Jaguars are giving up an NFL-low 14.6 points per game, while shutting down air attacks and leads the league with 35 sacks.
Rivers has dueled with Denver's Von Miller and Oakland's Khalil Mack, but Jacksonville's "Sacksonville" lineup has logged 10-plus takedowns in two separate games this season, a feat matched by only the 1984 Bears and 1967 Raiders.
"This is certainly the best group of guys they've had together," Rivers said Wednesday. "They're playing really well, with a lot of confidence, and they're playing fast. They're all active and relentless in the way they rush."
Los Angeles has allowed just 11 sacks this season, an improvement over last year's pass protection. Sitting at 3-5, though, a loss to Jacksonville and their rowdy band of quarterback crushers would all but end the year for the Bolts.