The Jacksonville Jaguars face a tough challenge in Week 5. They'll be playing the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Aside from turning them into a legitimate contender this season, a win would allow them to keep up in the race for the AFC South title.
This is especially true when you take into account that both the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans both their respective matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens.
A win vs. the Chiefs will allow the Jaguars to compete in the AFC South
You could make the case that it's early in the season to worry about the division title, but the truth is that the Jags and the Colts are tangled up in a two-way race for the AFC South crown. Couple that with the fact that Houston has won its last two games, and the Chiefs game suddenly became a must-win on Monday Night.
Granted, Indy disposed of a hapless Raiders team that's devoid of talent in all phases. That said, it did what any good team would do: Take care of business and defeated a lesser opponent. Along the way, running back Jonathan Taylor is quickly putting together a bid for Offensive Player of the Year while quarterback Daniel Jones is doing a great job of showing that he was not the problem during his stint with the New York Giants.
On the other hand, the Texans are quietly crawling out of the division cellar with a pair of crucial wins. Just one week after shutting out the Tennessee Titans, Houston trounced an injury-marred Baltimore Ravens team 44-10. Instead of folding after a rough start to the season, they rallied together and got back on track.
Now, the Colts are 4-1 while Houston sits at a respectable 2-2 and well within the thick of the division race.
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Why the Jaguars must beat the Chiefs in Week 5
If the Jaguars beat the Chiefs in Week 5, they'll be tied with the Colts for the division lead. Similarly, the Texans will be trailing by two games. On the other hand, if Jacksonville loses on Monday Night, it will lose plenty of ground in the division.
Indy will have sole control of the AFC South, and the Jags will only have a one-game lead over the Texans. It helps that they already beat them in Week 3, but even then, the gap between these two division foes would be narrow.
For that reason, the Jaguars must bring their A-game and fend off the Chiefs. Sure, it won't be a walk in the park, but even if pass rusher Travon Walker doesn't suit up, Jacksonville has enough talent across the board to repel the Super Bowl runner-up.
If they fail, though, they may have trouble getting back on track. That's why the Monday Night matchup has just gained even more importance than it already had.