JACKSONVILLE – This is about response, and that makes it important.

Really, really important.

The Jaguars on Sunday will play the Los Angeles Chargers at EverBank Field in Jacksonville. It's a mid-November AFC game between above-.500 teams with legitimate playoff aspirations. So this game very definitely is about that.

It's also about the immediate past.

Specifically, it's about the Jaguars moving on from a 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday – and while moving on from losses in professional football usually is not epically difficult, this loss wasn't "usual."

The Jaguars lost a 19-point fourth-quarter lead in Houston, missing a chance to sweep the two-time defending AFC South champions and missing a chance to move three games above .500. It was the sort of game that can define a season, a loss difficult enough to alter a season's trajectory.

It's up to the Jaguars to redirect that trajectory back to the one that enabled them to win five of their first eight games – and to still be in the seventh and final "playoff" position in the AFC entering Sunday.

Winning a difficult matchup against a good team Sunday is the first step to realtering the trajectory. This isn't a must-win game, but it feels important – really, really important – and not just because all November games are important for postseason contenders.

Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to beat the Chargers Sunday:

1. Run. Keep circling this and we'll keep repeating it as No. 1 because it remains critical. This Jaguars team probably isn't going to power run its way into the postseason. But it must run at key times, and it must run effectively in the fourth quarter. This offense has been at its best when doing that.
2. Be physical. Keep circling this, too – and we'll keep repeating it, too. The Jaguars for the most part this season have won when they were the more physical team. When they look like a playoff team, that's their identity.
3. Get PW in the end zone. Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington may not yet be a receiver a quarterback can "feed all day," but he's undoubtedly the team's best receiver. He scored two touchdowns against the Texans – one on a pass reception, on one a punt return – and he's the Jaguars' best touchdown option.
4. Hit a big one. The Jaguars have yet to produce big, explosive touchdowns consistently this season. Doing so has become a lot harder with wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown struggling – and with rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter out for the season with a knee injury. Still, they need a long touchdown from somewhere Sunday. Or two. It's just too hard to drive the length of the field in this league.
5. Pressure.Herbert. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is the NFL's most underrated front-line quarterback. The Jaguars haven't pressured opposing quarterbacks consistently enough. It's hard to imagine the Jaguars winning if Herbert has the time Texans quarterback Davis Mills had last week. Stopping the run on early downs to force the Chargers into long yardage on third down is key.
6. Take.The.Ball.Away. The Jaguars remain one of the NFL's best teams at forcing takeaways, but they haven't in recent weeks been anywhere near their early-season pace of three or four a game. The Jaguars don't need three takeaways Sunday. They might need two.
7. Turn takeaways into touchdowns. The Jaguars forced two turnovers against the Texans, which was a huge positive. One issue: While those two takeaways both came in Texans territory, the Jaguars turned them into 10 points rather than 14. Injuries have created some significant weaknesses for the Jaguars. To overcome weaknesses, you must take full advantage of scoring opportunities when they arise.
8. Get 'em blocked. The Jaguars' offensive line for the most part this season has protected quarterback Trevor Lawrence at least adequately. That wasn't the case in big situations against the Texans, who have one of the NFL's best pass defensive end duos. The Chargers can rush the passer, too. The Jaguars' tackles must play better than they did last week.
9. Move on. This likely happened already. A theme all week has been that the Jaguars can't let the Texans beat them twice, meaning the aftereffects of last Sunday can't bleed into this Sunday. The NFL is a week-to-week league. The Jaguars must make sure that's the case this week.
10. Scrap, fight, believe. The Jaguars probably aren't the favorites in this game on paper. They're beat up – with some matchup disadvantages. They need to get some turnovers and big plays early, then show the same fight late that they showed in the early weeks of the season. This game could be about desire and heart. These have been Jaguars strengths most of this season. They must be strengths again Sunday.