The Chiefs are coming off a shocking week one upset loss over the Detroit Lions at home, 21-20. Granted, they were without star tight end Travis Kelce and they were without defensive tackle Chris Jones (more on him coming up shortly). Patrick Mahomes and the offense were not on their usual A game but there were so many little mistakes made that cost them, primarily NINE total drops by wide receivers. The turning point was a dropped pass by Kadarius Toney in the third quarter that led to the Lions tying the game at 14 and they never looked back. It’ll be interesting how much Toney plays after a rough week one performance. Defensively, the Chiefs struggled to get any pressure on Lions quarterback Jared Goff and stopping the run. Up next is the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. This week, KC’s defense will get a massive boost.
Welcome Back Chris Jones
Chris Jones ended his holdout on Monday after he and general manager Brett Veach were able to reach a contract agreement. It’s a one-year deal worth $19.5 million but could reach as much as $25 million depending on certain incentives and milestones Jones reached during the season. He will be on the field Sunday afternoon. The question is: how is his conditioning coming off missing all of training camp and the preseason? I saw a lot of players across the league deal with hamstring injuries in particular. If Jones is in game shape, I believe he will be able to handle his normal game-day work load. His return is much needed. Kansas City gave up over 100 yards rushing against the Lions and only had one sack against the Lions.
Jacksonville Looks to Prove They Are Legit
On the other side, the Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a 31-21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts led by third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence went 24-32, 241 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. They also have another key piece on offense: wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley made his return to the NFL earlier this summer after serving a one-year suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling rules. He looked like he didn’t miss a beat: eight catches, 111 yards, and a receiving touchdown. If Kansas City is going to win on Sunday, containing Calvin Ridley is the number one priority. They cannot let him roam all over the field.
Chiefs’ Keys to Victory
Outside of the secondary needing to contain Calvin Ridley, there are a few things the Chiefs need to do in order to bounce back and get the win:
1. Stop The Run
The Chiefs’ run defense against the Lions was not good at all, allowing 118 yards. The task doesn’t get any easier facing Jaguars running back Travis Ettienne. He ran for 77 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Control the line of scrimmage and take away their rushing attack early.
2. Put Pressure on Trevor Lawrence
To put it simply, sacking the opposing quarterback one time will not get the job done. Thankfully, Chris Jones is back and as their primary pass rusher, he can do damage as last year he recorded 15 sacks.
3. Limit The Drops
As we all know, the Chiefs receivers had a total of nine dropped passes last week. With tight end Travis Kelce potentially coming back this week from his knee injury, the offense should be more complete and free-flowing. I have no doubt Patrick Mahomes will give his young crew of receivers numerous opportunities throughout the game but make no mistake about it: everything starts with number 87 on the field. He’s their most reliable pass catcher and if he’s able to play Sunday, he will make an impact.
Chiefs-Jaguars will kick off at 12:00 Central Time on CBS.
