3 takeaways from Jaguars discouraging loss to Chiefs in Week 10

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-17 in Week 10. Although every loss hurts, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who legitimately thought the Jags were going to pull off the upset.

Having said that, the game revealed a few things about the 2022 Jags, such as what’s working and the areas they need to work on. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from their Week 10 loss to the Chiefs.

3. The Jaguars will need to keep addressing the kicker position

Earlier this year, the team’s brass moved on from kicker Matthew Wright and brought in Ryan Santoso and Andrew Mevis to compete for the job in training camp. However, neither one proved to be up to the challenge, so the Jags then signed journeyman Elliot Fry, whose stint in Jacksonville lasted just a few days.

Before the start of the season, the Jags claimed James McCourt off of waivers and it seemed like the revolving door at kicker was going to end. However, McCourt was released to pave the way for Riley Patterson who spent training camp with the Detroit Lions before getting the boot.

Patterson ended up making the cut and did a serviceable job early in the season, going 13-of-14 in field goals in the first seven games. However, he’s missed three attempts in the last two weeks, with two coming against the Chiefs.

Sure, Patterson successfully nailed an onside kick that got the Jaguars an extra possession at the beginning of the game. But the Jags might need to revisit the kicker position in the upcoming weeks and maybe in the offseason if he doesn’t get out of the funk.

2. The Jaguars’ defense has regressed considerably in recent weeks

Head coach Doug Pederson has often talked about the importance of playing complementary football. While he’s mostly referring to the offense and defense, it also applies to all the position groups on both sides of the ball.

You can’t do a good job of rushing the passer only to allow your secondary to get torched. Similarly, cornerbacks can only hold their coverage for so long and the front seven must do a good job of dominating the line of scrimmage.

The Jaguars have at times struggled to generate pressure at the line of scrimmage and others to defend the back end. But against the Chiefs, the whole defense was overwhelming. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins did force a fumble and safety Andre Cisco registered an interception

However,  the defensive line couldn’t contain Patrick Mahomes and often gave him enough time to find his receivers. Similarly, wide receivers Kadarious Tooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were often open and that falls squarely on the secondary’s shoulders.

All things considered, Jacksonville’s defense has regressed in recent weeks. Sure, they’re once again creating takeaways but they’ve had a hard time stopping the pass and the run. To make matters worse, their tackling hasn’t been optimal, and have given up several big plays in recent weeks. Their dominant performances in Weeks 2 and 3 now look like a thing of the past.

The Jaguars will next have their Bye Week and if there was ever a good time to make adjustments, this is it.

1. Trevor Lawrence takes another step in the right direction vs. the Chiefs

Even though head coach Doug Pederson remains optimistic about the Jags’ chances of making the playoffs this year, they might need to wait another year to have a realistic shot. At 3-7, it’s hard to see a path in which they get hog and win their remaining seven games. Having said that, the team’s brass should be thrilled about Trevor Lawrence’s development.

Lawrence had a disastrous rookie campaign, completing less than 60 percent of his passes and throwing 17 interceptions, tied with Matthew Stafford for the most in the NFL. But due to his talent, the former Clemson Tiger was seen as a candidate to make a leap in Year 2.

Early in the 2022 season, Lawrence was hot and cold. He would make a costly mistake in a game but would have an efficient outing the following week. Moreover, the six interceptions he’s thrown this year have come either in the red zone or with a game in the line. But the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft hasn’t gone two weeks without an interception and has completed 76 percent of his passes for 495 yards with three touchdowns in that snap.

Lawrence played a big role in the win over the Raiders and he was definitely not the reason the Jags lost to the Chiefs. Although he needs to keep getting better, it’s nice to see him build more consistency.

Progress takes time and it’s possible that by the end of the year, Lawrence will have solidified his case as the long-term answer at the quarterback position for the Jaguars.