Jaguars offense regresses vs. Chiefs: 3 takeaways from disappointing Week 2 loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to end a seven-game losing skid to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. Also a win would've given Doug Pederson his first one against his mentor, Andy Reid. Both teams got off to a slow start but the Chiefs later took control of the game and won 17-9.

This loss is disappointing because the Jags had a prime opportunity to show they belong among the top teams. Instead, they couldn't keep up with Kansas City, one of the powerhouses in the AFC. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from the disappointing loss.

The Jaguars couldn't establish the run throughout the game

The Jaguars may have wanted to get the running game going early on but they couldn't. In fact, their offense as a whole struggled. For the moment, let's focus on their inability to pound the ball. Just like last week, it was hard to run behind the right side of the offensive line. This time though, there were no opportunities wherever they went.

Travis Etienne had eight carries in the first quarter but he only managed to tally eight yards in the first hand. Things didn't get much better later in the game and Jacksonville finished with a paltry 52 yards on 17 carries. The farther the Jags drifted away on the scoreboard, the less they attempted to run the ball, and understandably so. Why keep trying something that isn't working? Then again, Jacksonville inadvertently put a burden on Trevor Lawrence's shoulders.

In the second half, the Chiefs consistently rushed more than four players and kept Lawrence guessing. Add their exotic coverage and the Jags' offense struggled to move the ball. The third-year quarterback went 24of-41 for 216 yards and a mediocre 5.3-yard average on passing attempt.

All things considered, it's hard to blame anyone for the Jaguars' miscues. The offensive line got overpowered in the trenches, Travis Etienne couldn't break off big runs and Trevor Lawrence couldn't move the ball through the air.

In the opener, the Jaguars offense seemed promising, putting 31 points on the scoreboard. However, things didn't go their way against the Chiefs, which is why they're 1-1 heading into Week 3. They'll need to return to what worked against the Indianapolis Colts and fix what's not working on the right side of the offensive trenches.

Special teams and the defense kept the Jaguars in the game vs. the Chiefs

OK, the Jaguars had trouble moving the ball bout how about their defense? Actually, they, along with the special teams, kept things close in the first quarter. Overall, they limited the Chiefs to 151 yards and just seven points before halftime.

Similarly, they were able to contain tight end Travis Kelce, who made his 2023 season debut Sunday. They also got an interception from safety Andre Cisco, a forced fumble by cornerback Darious Williams, and linebacker Foyesade Oluoku's subsequent recovery. Also, long-snapper Ross Matiscik, who also plays on the coverage teams, boxed the Chiefs in a punt return early in the game.

Basically, the defense bailed the offense out for most of the game but when it was time to set up, they came crashing. The Chiefs' front four deserves lots of credit though. Entering the game, it looked like the only threat to create pressure up front was defensive tackle Chris Jones, who's back in the fold after missing the opener in his search for a pay bump.

However, players such as George Karlaftis and Nick Bolt consistently brought the heat and consistently rattled Lawrence. Also, props to the Kansas City secondary. They kept Lawrence guessing, which forced him to take more time than he would've liked to get rid of the ball.

Things did heat up in the third quarter. The Jaguars' offense managed to visit the Kansas City red zone. TA quarterback sneak didn't work and passes to Zay Jones and Calvin Ridley didn't result in the positive yardage. For the third time in the game, they had to settle on a field goal to make it 14-9.

The Jags had one last chance to tie the game in the fourth quarterback. Plays by Christian Kirk, Trevor Lawrence, and Evan Engram, who came up with a key third-down conversion got Jacksonville once again into the red zone but their effort once again fell short.

The rest went as expected. The Chiefs went on to eat time off the clock and scored to seal the win.

What's next for the Jaguars after losing to the Chiefs in Week 2?

This one is a disappointing loss to the Jaguars. Had they beat the Chiefs, they would have proven they're one of the top teams in the league right now. Instead, they couldn't take care of the business at home and are now 0-3 against the defending Super Bowl champs over the last two years.

In the opener, the Jags showed that they could win close games. In Week 2, they trailed the Chiefs once they scored their first touchdowns. A unit that ranked 10th in both total yards and points scored last year had only three field goals to show for. The Chiefs deserve praise for bracketing Calvin Ridley and limiting his impact. This left several opportunities for Christian Kirk, who logged his first 100-yard game of the year. Then again, it would have felt more meaningful if the feat had led to points on the scoreboard.

Having said that, it's not time to press the panic button yet. It's true that the Jaguars have their work cut out if they don't want to start a losing streak in 2023. They must fix the running game, and find out why the passing game was off. Working in their favor is that they have more than enough talent in place to make whatever adjustments to avoid falling to the 0-2 Houston Texans in Week 3 of the season. Similarly, it's too early in the season to let a loss like the one against the Chiefs define them.

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