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Writer's pictureDan Tortora

Jaguars' Defense Provides Checks, Offense Doesn't Deposit, at the Bank


EverBank is back... and so are the Jacksonville Jaguars.


After a 31-21 road win to begin the 2023-24 season against AFC South Rival Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars opened their home, named EverBank once again (now EverBank Stadium, previously EverBank Field and then TIAA Bank Field), on this Sunday afternoon, versus the visiting Kansas City Chiefs of the AFC West.


Jacksonville saw Kansas City twice last season, once in the regular season, on Sunday, November 13, 2022, which concluded in a 27-17 loss, and again in the postseason, a 27-20 loss in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Both of these games were on the road.


This time, the Chiefs had to come to North Florida, their first trip to Jacksonville since Sunday, September 8, 2019, a 40-26 win for the Chiefs.


Kansas City has won seven-straight games versus Jacksonville, after the Jaguars began this head-to-head series winning six of the first eight match-ups.


The opposing forces began the game trading punts, with each team sending away their first two possessions.


Kansas City's second possession almost began with an interception, when Syracuse Orange alum and Jaguars' third-round pick of the 2021 National Football League (NFL) Draft (65th overall), jumped the passing route and got his fingertips on a ball thrown from two-time NFL Champion quarterback Pat Mahomes to wide receiver Justin Watson.


At the end of 15 minutes, the scoreboard remained empty, with Jacksonville beginning the second quarter on 4th-&-1 following a completion from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Christian Kirk that would be stopped a yard shy of the first down as a result of a hit by cornerback Jaylen Watson.


The Jaguars would elect to punt for the third time in the first half on this 4th-&-1 situation, and special teams would put the offense back on the field when a muffed punt-return attempt by wide receiver Richie James was recovered by Jaguars' wide receiver Tim Jones, giving Jacksonville their fourth possession of the game, this beginning inside the Chiefs' redzone, on their 17-yard line.


Jacksonville would capitalize on this special teams' setup by getting on the board first on a 32-yard field goal by newcomer to the Jaguars but longtime NFL kicker Brandon McManus, who came to the team in the off-season. With 12:59 before half, Jacksonville was ahead 3-0.


On Kansas City's next drive, Justin Watson would reel in the ball and gain 14 yards, but cornerback Darious Williams would force Watson to fumble and linebacker Foye Oluokun would recover the ball at the Jacksonville 48-yard line. The call would be reviewed and upheld, and the Jaguars would gain 15 more yards courtesy of an unsportsmanlike penalty on tight end Travis Kelce.


However, Jacksonville would give the ball right back when Kansas City Head Coach Andy Reid challenged the incomplete-pass call and the call was changed to a backward pass by quarterback Trevor Lawrence and fumble by wide receiver Jamal Agnew, recovered by cornerback L'Jarius Sneed at the Kansas City 40-yard line.


Shortly after, Mahomes would send the ball deep toward Justin Watson who was taking off to about the 10-yard line of the Jaguars, but Cisco jumped this route as well, coming diagonal from the right of where Watson was and leaping up to take the ball away from the Chiefs, giving the Jaguars a new opportunity and preventing a touchdown, just inside 10 minutes before halftime.


The chain crew came out with a little over seven minutes to go in the first half and signaled for a first down for Jacksonville on a five-yard pass on 3rd-&-5 from Lawrence to Agnew.


Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor would call a trick play on 2nd-&-10 from midfield, with Lawrence throwing to his left side to wide receiver Christian Kirk who would then throw the ball across the field to running back Travis Etienne, Jr., ultimately losing a yard.


The Jaguars would elect to go for it on 4th-&-5 and after deciding to hold onto the ball, Lawrence was sacked for a five-yard loss to midfield and a turnover on downs, coming from Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, in his first action of the 2023-24 season on the heels of sitting out of the season-/home-opener versus the Detroit Lions, due to contract negotiations.


Jacksonville's defense would immediately return the favor when linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson sacked Mahomes on the first play of Kansas City's drive, for a seven-yard loss.


The Chiefs would also go for it on a fourth-down attempt, theirs on 4th-&-2, with Mahomes finding running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a catch-and-run for 10 yards to the Jaguars' 32.


In total, Mahomes went 6-for-6 on this drive, following the sack by Chaisson, the last completion going to wide receiver Skyy Moore for a nine-yard score, the first touchdown of the game by either team, giving Kansas City their first lead of the contest, 7-3, with 27 seconds left in the second quarter.


Lawrence took advantage of these final seconds in the first half, finding Kirk for 11 yards, wide receiver Calvin Ridley for 26, back to Kirk for four yards, and a pass to the middle of the field to Etienne, Jr., for three yards to set up McManus.


The Jacksonville kicker would send it in from 49 yards away to get the Jaguars within one at the break, down 7-6.


Kansas City would take the opening drive of the second half into the end zone, going to Kelce on back-to-back throws, the latter tossing the ball to Kelce for a nine-yard touchdown on a play where he waited until two defenders gravitated toward him and then threw to a wide-open Kelce, bringing the score to 14-6 Chiefs at the 11:30 mark of the third quarter.


Jacksonville's first drive of the second half would conclude very differently, with Lawrence going to Kirk over the middle on 3rd-&-10 and the ball falling incomplete, leading to a punt by the Jaguars.


The Jacksonville defense would get the ball back for the offense when they forced Kansas City to punt their second possession of the second half away with about five minutes on the game clock in the third.


However, the Jaguars offense would not come away with any points after this punt, getting a delay-of-game penalty followed by Chris Jones getting his arm on a 3rd-&-14 pass attempt by Lawrence, concluding this drive with the Jaguars second punt in as many possessions here in the third quarter.


Defensive backs Tre Herndon (cornerback) and Rayshawn Jenkins (strong safety) would come up with big tackles to keep the Chiefs within their own redzone, forcing a three-and-out on the Chiefs third drive of the second half.


On the first play of Jacksonville's third drive of the latter half, Lawrence saw Kirk in single-coverage, airing it out for a 45-yard gain on a play where safety Bryan Cook was able to hold onto Kirk's foot to prevent any more of a gain.


Lawrence's 3-for-3 start to this drive followed by a five-yard run by Etienne, Jr., moved the Jaguars from their own 23 to the Chiefs' 11-yard line, where they would begin the fourth quarter, in this drive continuation.


Wide receiver Zay Jones would grab the pass thrown by Lawrence but did not get both feet in.


Safety Justin Reid was flagged for pass interference on the next play in a pass intended for tight end Evan Engram, setting up Jacksonville at Kansas City's one-yard line.


Lawrence would fake the hand-off and run to the outside, losing three yards back to the Chiefs' four-yard line.


Wide receiver Calvin Ridley would catch a pass from Lawrence over the middle of the end zone, but was out-of-bounds. He would run into the goal post on this play.


On 3rd-&-4, Lawrence sailed the ball over Zay Jones, leading to a 22-yard field goal by McManus to shorten the deficit to five for the Jaguars, down 14-9, with 13:43 remaining in the game.


The Chiefs would be flagged for back-to-back false starts that would result in them moving backward to the Jaguars' 20.


Mahomes would toss the ball to the ground on the next play and what looked to be initially a catch by Kelce was thwarted by a hit from linebacker Devin Lloyd and company.


The above penalties and these next two plays would end the drive for Kansas City on a field-goal attempt by Harrison Butker from 38 yards away to extend their lead to eight, 17-9, with 8:10 left to play.


On the next possession for Jacksonville, Lawrence went 3-for-3 on completions to Kirk while taking off for an 18-yard rush to get the ball to the Kansas City 31.


Lawrence would throw to tight end Evan Engram on his following three attempts, going 2-for-3 on this drive.


He would throw it away after his second completion to Engram, force a pass over the middle that fell incomplete, and eluded a sack by pushing the ball out toward rookie running back Tank Bigsby, which rolled out-of-bounds, setting up 4th-&-10 for the Jaguars on the Chiefs' 14. Andy Reid challenged that the ball went backward and he would win his second red-flag toss of the day as the officials moved the ball back two yards, bringing about 4th-&-12 to the Chiefs' 16. With Reid getting both challenges correct, he was awarded a third challenge to be used if he saw fit.


Ridley would get his hands on the ball on this fourth-down try but he did not have control and his feet looked to not both be in. Officials reviewed and upheld the call of an incomplete pass, resulting in a turnover on downs with Kansas City taking over at the Jacksonville 16-yard line.


Oluokun looked like he was getting to Mahomes on third down, but Mahomes remained upright as Oluokun reached out and missed, and Moore was wide open, waiting for the ball to come in, receiving it, and grabbing 54 yards to get the Chiefs inside the Jaguars' redzone, at the 12.


On Offense:

Mahomes went 29-for-41 for 305 yards, with two touchdowns, and one interception.


Lawrence finished 22-for-41 for 216 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions.


Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco carried the ball 11 times for 65 yards (5.9 yards per carry).


Etienne, Jr., took 12 carries 40 yards (3.3 yards per carry).


Kirk led all receivers on both teams in catches (11) and receiving yards (110).


Engram had 6 catches for 57 yards.


Moore led Kansas City with three catches for 70 yards and one touchdown, with 54 of his 70 yards coming on the late play in the fourth quarter, mentioned above.


On Defense:

Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis and Chris Jones each ended with 1.5 sacks, and defensive ends Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Mike Danna with 0.5 sack apiece.


Chaisson attained the lone sack for the Jaguars' defense.


Lloyd and Oluokun were the only players on either side with double-digit tackles, with 11 (5 solo) and 10 (six folo) total, respectively.


Linebacker Nick Bolton ended atop all Chiefs with eight total tackles (five solo).


On Special Teams:

McManus went 3-for-3 on extra points. He did not attempt a field goal.


Butker went 1-for-1 on field-goal tries and 2-for-2 on extra points.

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