The Jacksonville Jaguars Face the Offensive-Minded Kansas City Chiefs

The Jacksonville Jaguars face a very impressive offense led by second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-0 in the first quarter of the season. The Jaguars are 3-1 so this matchup is important for both teams in their quests for the playoffs.

This game is quite intriguing because the Jaguars are a team that stresses defense and the Chiefs are a more offensive minded group.  This game will pose an age-old question.  Is it more important to have a great defense or a great offense?

The obvious answer is both but it is rare indeed for an NFL team to be equally strong on both sides of the ball. Here are a few things to look at for this head-to-head matchup.

Defense

The most glaring discrepancy is on the defensive side of the ball.  The Jaguars are currently the No. 2 defense in yards allowed in 2018 with 1,037. The play of Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, and Marcell Dareus have been a major reason for the high ranking.

On the other hand, the Chiefs are ranked number 32 with 1807 yards allowed this season. Also, the Jaguars have allowed a stingy 259.3 yards per game while the Chiefs have been more generous allowing 451.8.

Offense

The offensive difference is not as great.  The Chiefs rank eighth overall.  They gained 1,641 total yards in 2018.  The Jaguars gained 1521 yards.  At the same time, the Chiefs have scored an incredible 36.2 points per game while the 14th ranked Jaguars have scored 22.0 points per game.

In essence, the Chiefs are a scoring machine.  The national media has fallen in love with the Chiefs offense and their young quarterback, Patrick Mahomes

The Jaguars, led by Blake Bortles, have not gotten the attention they deserve so far this season. The Jaguars have proven they can score when the offense is given the chance to challenge opposing secondaries.

The New York Jets found that out last Sunday in their 31-12 loss at TIAA Bank Field. The Chiefs present a unique opportunity for the Jaguars defense with their offensive weapons.

Three great offensive players for the Chiefs

First and foremost is Patrick Mahomes.  He is an instant superstar in the NFL.  Chris Taylor of KC Kingdome. commented after the Monday night game

"His precision passing, scrambling, decision making, playmaking, and just his sheer will to win were on full display on Monday night."

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Mahomes, a Texas Tech product, was the 10th overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft and spent his first season as a backup to Alex Smith.  He has taken the NFL by storm.

Next is Kareem Hunt, a product of Toledo.  Hunt is a steal as a third-round draft pick in 2017.  He led the league in rushing and was voted to the pro bowl as a rookie.  His production hasn’t been as great this season with the advent of Mahomes but he is a weapon.

Finally, we look at Tyreek Hill.  He had some issues and as a result, attended three different colleges.  This had a major impact on his draft level and he was drafted by the Chiefs in the 5th round.

He has overcome his issues and is a versatile player and can play receiver, running back, and kick returner.  Equally important are his two pro bowl selections as a kick returner.  This is quite an honor in his young career.

Discussion

We know our Jaguars and what they bring to the table.  We have a great defense, a mid-level offense and a quarterback who should play well against the underwhelming Kansas City defense. The Chiefs bring a well below average defense and a high scoring offense.

If the Jaguars receivers continue to grow and “Playoff” Blake Bortles comes to the game the Jaguars should be able to win despite our limited running game.

It’s highly unlikely that our defense can keep the Chiefs from scoring but they should be able to keep the scoring below their 36 point average.