AFC Game Of The Week
Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs
Jaguars: As good as they are, I’m not sure if people can take them seriously because of the inconsistent play from the quarterback. Remember in week two after they beat New England and how well Blake Bortles played? Many analysts said that when he takes the game over and just unleashes on a defense along with how they play defense as a team, they are a title contender. The week after, they struggle to score any touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans so I just never know what I’m going to see from their offense and I think that’s what’s holding them back. Right now, they sit at 3-1 in second place in the AFC South looking up to the Tennessee Titans. Their defense is still the best in the NFL as we speak and they’ve basically picked up from where they left off last season. They’ve still been able to move the football without Leonard Fournette on the field as he’s been battling injuries early on this year. This is one of their biggest games of the year and they’ll face the best offense they’ve seen so far on the young season in the Kansas City Chiefs. This one will show us just how real the Jaguars are as a football team.
Chiefs: In their first three games, we’ve seen them steamroll their opponents and their offense has just taken over games. I was happy to see them get a challenge on Monday night in Denver and they were finally held under 30 points for the first time all season long. Heading into Mile High, the big question was could Mahomes handle the pressure of such a hostile environment? He struggled in the first half but put it all together when it mattered most and this was the game where he couldn’t depend on those trick plays as he has because he had to play like a regular quarterback. I said this on Twitter the other night that from an athletic standpoint, he’s the closest thing to Aaron Rodgers. He can move the pocket, make throws in the run, moves around and shifts away when he’s under pressure and if he wants, he can throw the football with the left hand and that’s what he did in the game on Monday against Denver. As much as I’ve bashed them, I actually like what I saw from their defense because if you’ve watched them this year, they haven’t been able to stop anyone and get off the field. It wasn’t the greatest performance, but they were able to make stops when they needed too. It’s early now, but they are off to another quick start and I really hope that they can keep this up throughout the season but for that to happen, they need to feed Kareem Hunt the football, especially when the weather begins to change and it gets colder. This game on Sunday will definitely be a battle to watch.
Jaguars Player To Watch: Malik Jackson– He’s no stranger to any team from the AFC West. He started his career with the Broncos and now he’s a member of this vaunted Jaguars defense. He’s excellent when it comes to stopping the run and he can affect the quarterback’s timing in the pocket. This won’t be easy, but he along with that defensive line will need to break through.
Chiefs Player To Watch: Demetrius Harris– With all the offensive weapons at Mahomes’ disposal, there’s always one that seems to slip under the radar and he’s one of them and Mahomes seems to have a nice chemistry with him. Because of the attention that Kelce and Hill draw, he gets many one on one opportunities which allows him to get open.
Final Analysis: What a game this will be (we hope). You talk about the best of the best, this will feature the best defense in the league in Jacksonville facing an offense that moves the football down the field at such a quick pace. The Broncos may have shown us the blueprint on how to attack Mahomes and if they did it, what makes you think this Jaguars defense won’t? This is definitely strength versus strength with a strong defense facing a great offense. Who wins this battle? Do the Jaguars have enough in the secondary to match with the Kansas City weapons? Will Ramsey line up and defend Kelce? He can cover tight ends. The Chiefs defense took a step forward on Monday, can it continue?
Prediction: Chiefs 24 Jaguars 20
