Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) – Kansas City Chiefs (1-1): 9-17
The Chiefs won. The Chiefs won, despite 17 points scored, three turnovers and twelve penalties whistled against them. Quite simply because Jacksonville has never been able to capitalize on its opportunities. Four times the Floridians presented themselves in the opposing red zone, and they were only able to score 9 starving points. Trevor Lawrence showed unusual imprecision, overdosing many of his passes, and leaving no chance for his receivers to be able to finish as they approached the paint.
For Kansas City we are far from a convincing victory, despite everything the meeting confirmed the great returns of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Very good news for the reigning champions who are rebalancing their away record against a possible playoff opponent.
Penalties and ball losses
The game begins with a long observation round which sees the two teams exchange possession of the leather. If Jacksonville demonstrates a good defensive presence which slows down the attempts of Kansas City, the attack appears feverish and stalls without being able to progress significantly. The punts continued during the first quarter without any points being scored. Only defensive actions and penalties animated the period.
However, from the first action of the second quarter things deteriorated even further. The inaccuracies continue on almost every play. Kansas City offers 3 points to its opponents following a botched punt return, then the teams exchange fumbles in quick succession, before Patrick Mahomes (29/41, 305 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) was intercepted on a long pass attempt under great pressure. But each time the reds come out cheap, with Jacksonville never managing to capitalize on its advantages. The Chiefs finally break free when Skyy Moore (70 yards, 1 TD) catches a touchdown pass a few seconds before the break. Facing the wall, the Jaguars took advantage of the last moments to reduce the gap thanks to a long distance field goal. The teams return to the locker room with a surprising score of 6 to 7.
Powerless Jaguars
When they returned to the field, the Chiefs immediately stepped on the accelerator. A big run from Isiah Pacheco (70 yards) is matched by a long reception from Justin Watson (62 yards), before Travis Kelce (26 yards, 1 TD) catches the ball in the paint. Opposite, Trevor Lawrence’s men (22/41, 216 yards) still seem to have difficulty reacting in attack in this third period.
And even if the Floridians start the last quarter in their opponent’s red zone – thanks to a bomb captured by Christian Kirk (110 yards) and the good work of Travis Etienne (40 yards) – they are unable to conclude and do not only hang 3 points. A gap quickly recovered by Kansas City, which also found a field goal to maintain an 8-point lead. Especially since the Jaguars continue to stumble against the goal. While it’s their last chance, for the fourth time, they can’t score a touchdown that would bring them back into the game. This will be enough for the Chiefs who slowly move up the field and kill the clock without even having to add to the score. For his 28th birthday, Patrick Mahomes returns to Missouri with a precious victory even if it is not convincing.
