Patrick Mahomes meets with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence after helping the Chiefs win their first game of the 2023 season. The Jaguars lost their 2023 home opener 17-9 to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jaguars (1-1) have lost their last eight games against Kansas City. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on September 17, 2023 at 9:04 pm
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On a day when the defending Super Bowl champions didn’t have their A-game, and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t either, the Chiefs showed what being a champion is all about. The Jaguars showed that they have a long way to go to reach the lofty expectations placed on this season.
For the second straight game, the Jaguars offense had a hard time getting in sync, resulting in a 17-9 loss to Kansas City. The loss could wind up costing the Jaguars a shot at home-field advantage.
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Why did the Jaguars struggle? There are several areas of concern. To start with, the Jaguars’ offensive line struggled. With center Luke Fortner and right guard Brandon Scherff both playing through injuries and right tackle Anton Harrison playing in just his second NFL game, the Chiefs dominated the trenches against the Jaguars, limiting the Jacksonville offense to 271 yards and no touchdowns.
The Jaguars also failed to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by KC’s mistakes. After a first-half muffed punt, the Jaguars had the ball at the Chiefs’ 17-yard line. The Jaguars could only manage a field goal.
After recovering a fumble at the Chiefs’ 37, the Jaguars proceeded to fumble the ball away on the next play on a screen pass from Lawrence to Jamal Agnew that was ruled to be a backward pass. KC recovered.
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And then there were the red zone struggles. In three visits inside the Chiefs’ 20 yard-line, the Jaguars came away without a touchdown. Lawrence did not complete a single pass in the red zone.
While the Jaguars’ defense was keeping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense under control, the Jaguars’ offense didn’t make enough plays.
What does it all mean?
The Jaguars need to get the offensive line healthy and playing better. If they don’t, playoff dreams will be short-lived.
Second, it’s time to let Lawrence take more shots down the field. To do that, the line must give him time. It goes hand-in-hand. It appeared that the Chiefs had no answer for tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Calvin Ridley on Sunday, but the Jaguars couldn’t (or didn’t) get the ball to them often enough.
Third, in the big picture, the Jaguars’ pursuit of home-field advantage in the AFC took a big hit. If the Jaguars and Chiefs end the season tied, Kansas City would get the higher seed based on head-to-head competition, the first tiebreaker.
Next week, the Jaguars host the winless Houston Texans in what should be a “get well” game. To get well, though, the Jaguars must be better.
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
