Jaguars 26, Chiefs 13: Jacksonville Leaves Preseason Opener With a Win

The Jaguars looked sharp in their preseason opener win against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates his catch and run with special teams coordinator Heath Farwell during the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 23-13 in their 2024 preseason opener at EverBank Stadium, with Travis Etienne scoring a touchdown on the Jaguars' first drive of the game.

Trevor Lawrence finished the game 3-of-4 for 42 yards and a touchdown, while the Jaguars' starting defense limited the Chiefs' starters to three points.

The Chiefs scored on their first possession thanks to a 16-yard run by Isiah Pacheco and 3-of-4 passing for 27 yards from Patrick Mahomes, though a third-down drop by Rashee Rice led to a 45-yard field goal from Harrison Butker.

Parker Washington then took the Jaguars' first new kickoff 73 yards, returning it to the Jaguars' 20-yard line after making several defenders miss and picking up big blocks from Chad Muma and Tank Bigsby. A few plays later, Trevor Lawrence hit Travis Etienne on an angle route out of the backfield for a nine-yard touchdown.

Washington's return, as of this writing, is the longest kickoff return this preseason.

After forcing a Chiefs punt thanks to a second-down sack from Yasir Abdullah, the Jaguars starters went out for a second offensive drive. After a solid gain over the middle of the field by Gabe Davis, the Jaguars' running game stalled and a third-down attempt to Davis was ruled out of bounds. Lawrence was then sacked on fourth down by linebacker Jack Cochrane.

Jacksonville's defense then forced a three-and-out, leading to backup quarterback C.J. Beathard entering the game. After missing his first attempt to Brian Thomas Jr., the rookie receiver hauled in a 41-yard catch against tight coverage for the first highlight-reel play of the preseason.

Fellow Jaguars rookie Cam Little then got the Jaguars on the board with a 40-yard field goal, giving the Jaguars a 10-3 lead before the Chiefs tied the game with 1:55 left in the first half after a Carson Steele touchdown on fourth down.

Beathard then led an end of half drive for a score, connecting with Devin Duvernay for a 35-yard touchdown with 26 seconds to take an 18-10 lead. The Jaguars then recorded a safety on the ensuing kickoff thanks to a mistake from the Chiefs, giving the Jaguars a 20-10 lead.

The second half saw Little hit a 47-yard field goal, giving the Jaguars a 23-10 lead before the Chiefs fired back with a field goal of their own.

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Subscribe to the Jaguars On SI Podcast on Apple and Spotify.
• Check out the Jaguars On SI YouTube Channel.