Game: Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Date / Time: Sunday, September 17, 2023 at Noon CDT
Place: TIAA Back Field at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Flordia
TV: CBS
Listen: 106.5 The Wolf (Kansas City residences only)
Betting Lines: Chiefs -3.5 | Under/Over: 51
The Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) wound up on the wrong side of the scoreboard last week against the Detroit Lions (1-0). On Sunday, they’ll ensure that doesn’t happen again when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) at EverBank Stadium.
Sunday’s matchup will be the third time these two clubs will go head-to-head in less than a year, making it one of the new rivalries that has emerged in the AFC. A big reason for that is how head coach Doug Peterson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence have turned their franchise around. After starting the year 3-7, the Jags won six of their final seven games to win the AFC South division and a playoff game.
In Week 1, Jacksonville took care of business against the Indianapolis Colts, racking up 342 total yards from scrimmage and scoring four touchdowns. Jacksonville’s passing offense was responsible for 241 yards, which came from the arm of Trevor Lawrence, who carries one of the quickest release times in the NFL. In 2022, Lawrence finished with the third-quickest release time of 2.52 seconds – completing 75% of his passes for 17 tds and only three ints.
One way the Chiefs can combat the Jaguars passing attack is to get pressure on fourth-year quarterback. According to team reporter Matt McMullen, when Lawrence holds onto the ball for more than 2.5 seconds, he’s more likely to make a mistake, completing only 52.8% of his passes for eight touchdowns and five picks. Luckily, the Chiefs welcome defensive tackle Chris Jones back into the lineup this week, which should help Kansas City get the pressure they need to wreak havoc on Sunday.
But it won’t just be Lawrence’s arm the Chiefs must prepare for. They’ll also need to keep tabs on running back Travis Etienne, who can break a game wide open anytime he has the football. In 2022, Etienne tallied more than 1400 yards from scrimmage but has somehow managed to remain under the radar as he becomes one of the most dangerous playmakers in the NFL. Surprisingly, Etienne has yet to make an impact for his team thus far against the Chiefs. Kansas City held him to less than 80 yards in both matchups the two teams played a year ago. On Sunday, the Chiefs defense will look to continue the trend with another dominant effort.
Another area the Chiefs excelled in last week against the Lions was their ability to get stops on third down. Last week, Kansas City forced Detroit into 15 third-down situations and only allowed them to convert five of them. Additionally, the Chiefs’ defense only allowed the Lions to score two offensive touchdowns.
An issue that doomed the Chiefs in Week 1 was the receiving core’s inability to catch the ball in the second half. It goes without saying that the Chiefs receivers need to get back on track, especially against the Jags’ 27th-ranked pass defense. Luckily, Kansas City should have tight end Travis Kelce back in the lineup, which will make a difference now that Mahomes has his security blanket back on the field.
However, Kelce may see fewer snaps than usual as the coaching staff plays it by ear with the knee he hyper-extended in practice last week.
Another matchup to watch will be how the Chiefs’ offensive line fares against the Jacksonville pass rush. Defensive end Josh Allen, in particular, was a game-wrecker against Indy, finishing with five tackles and three sacks. Thus, it’ll be up to the big fellas up front to keep Mahomes upright, or it could be a very long day for one of the league’s top offenses.
Sunday features two of the AFC’s best squads as the Jaguars look to improve to 2-0, while Kansas City aims to break into the win column for the first time this year.
