The Jaguars open the 2019 season against the Kansas City Chiefs

Can the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the 2019 NFL season?

The Jacksonville Jaguars face an offensive juggernaut in the first regular-season game. The Kansas City Chiefs were pretty much unstoppable in 2018 with an offense led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Jaguars 2019 preseason was not memorable. Doug Marrone per a story by John Oehser of Jaguars.com said.

"“It’s been a damn tough preseason,” Marrone explained.”  The emphasis was on safety, caution, and lack of injuries. The only thing I am happy about is we’re going into this first game healthy… Now are we going to be ready to play?”"

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The major concern is the lack of playing time for the starters. Can they gel as a unit without game experience? Another question – can a team move from idle speed to full throttle in one week?

The Chiefs are a great test for the Jaguars. A win or even a very solid performance would go a long way toward building momentum for a good season.  Kansas City is a storied franchise with a great history and an enthusiastic fan base. The coach, Andy Reid, is highly thought of in NFL circles. He is a creative and innovative offensive mind.

The Chiefs had the No. 1 offense in the NFL in 2018 but also had the 31st ranked defense.  They were the AFC West champions with a hefty 12-4 record.  Mahomes was unstoppable with 50 touchdowns and 5,097 yards passing.

Can he repeat this?  Wait and see.

Tyreek Hill, described by our own Jalen Ramsey as a “return specialist” last season when the two teams met, managed to get 1,479 yards with 87 receptions and 12 touchdowns. On the defensive side, Chris Jones had 15.5 sacks.

There is great hope this is the season The Chiefs finally make it to the Super Bowl and take home a Lombardi Trophy, as Lyle Graversen of Arrowhead Addict explained.

"“For the first time in my life as a Chiefs fan…I don’t think anyone will be shocked if Andy Reid’s team takes it all,” he said. “This time we’re the juggernaut that less talented teams have to plan for.”"

Obviously, there are high expectations in Kansas City.

So how do the Jaguars plan to defeat the Chiefs?  To start we have a very strong defensive line and cornerbacks.  That could slow down this powerhouse offense. We must be aggressive on defense and on offense as well.

The K.C. defense is not the best and an aggressive passing game and a power running game should keep them on their toes. Like the Jaguars, they are an unknown quantity in the defensive backfield so the passing game is critical. Doug Marrone must come up with a plan to reduce the number of penalties committed during the preseason.

To conclude this is a critical game for the Jaguars. The positive publicity and goodwill from the fans can turn quickly if the game is anything like the non-competitive games played during the preseason. Right now I have faith that Nick Foles, Ramsey, and others that this will not happen.