Sunday | 1:00 ET
Two of the NFL’s best offenses will clash in Duval County on Sunday. Considering the mutual amount of star-power, they could easily provide the most exciting game of the week. The Chiefs will look to right the ship after a tight Week 1 loss to the Lions. With the returns of both Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, Kansas City will be back to full strength. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are riding hot and hoping to grab a massive victory at home. Last week, WR Calvin Ridley showed no signs of rust after his year-long suspension. It will be interesting to see what he and Trevor Lawrence can do against Kansas City’s often underrated secondary.
Scheme-wise, it will be fun to watch these two powerful offenses duel. They are actually quite similar. Both are passing offenses that are heavily reliant upon yards after the catch (YAC). This means that they gain the majority of their passing yards after receiving the ball. Both teams focus on getting the ball into their playmakers’ hands by completing short, quick passes.
On defense, the Jaguars play a lot of man coverage. Assuming Travis Kelce is goo to go, this is good for the Chiefs. Though Jaguars LB Foyesade Oluokun is strong in coverage for his position, Travis Kelce is a matchup nightmare for almost anybody one-on-one. Look for the Chiefs to pepper him with targets. On defense, the Chiefs tend to tailor their scheme to stop the pass since they are usually playing with the lead. This should give Travis Etienne an opportunity for a big game. Even if they get down early, Jacksonville must not stray from pounding the rock. This will keep the Chiefs defense honest and allow Ridley, Engram, and Kirk to get open.
Ultimately, I can’t see the Chiefs falling to 0-2. I don’t think last Thursday left a good taste in Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid’s mouth. They, along with Kelce and Jones, will head into Jacksonville with a vengeance.