Asante Samuel Jr. intercepts Trevor Lawrence three times in Chargers loss

Former FSU football standout cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. set a record for a player making his playoff debut. Samuel Jr. intercepted Jacksonville Jaguar quarterback Trevor Lawrence three times in the first half of the AFC Wildcard Playoff game.

Asante Samuel Jr. had a key pass defended on a two-point conversion attempt by the Jaguars. He had six passes defended in the game and three tackles.

The former NFL second-round selection improved over his rookie season with 57 tackles and two interceptions in the regular season. He also had 11 passes defended for the second consecutive season.

The first interception came on a fourth-and-seven play with 10:02 remaining in the first quarter, with the Jaguars marching into Charger territory.

The Charger offense managed a field goal off the turnover to take a 10-0 lead. The second interception came at 2:09 in the first quarter on the Jacksonville 20-yard line and returned to the 16.

The Charger offense scored a touchdown three plays later to take a 17-0 lead. The third interception came on a third and 10 play with 6:55 remaining in the second quarter. However, the Chargers failed to capitalize on the turnover.

The Jaguars turned the ball over five times and managed to overcome a 27-0 deficit to win the game on a last-second field goal 31-30. The Charger offense only managed to score three points in the second half, which kept the Charger defense on the field for most of the second half.

The Jaguars got the benefit of a couple of questionable calls that allowed drives to continue, but in the end, the Charger’s offense failed to capitalize enough on all of the Jacksonville mistakes.

It’s rare to see a team turn the ball over five times and the opposing team not have any turnovers but still win the game. It was a valiant effort by Asante Samuel Jr. in his playoff debut.