Chiefs 17, Jaguars 9: Game Balls
Following a strong effort against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars were expected to hold their own when they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in week two. Despite the return of defensive lineman Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce the Chiefs appeared mortal for one of the first times in the Patrick Mahomes-era, and a win for the home team was well within the realm of possibility.
The Jaguars lost a sloppy one as Kansas City turned the ball over three times, didn’t score a single point until the closing moments of the first half, and never led by more than one possession. The Chiefs gave Jacksonville this game; the Jaguars simply didn’t accept their generous offer.
What made this pill so hard to swallow is how impressive the defense was, forcing three turnovers on three consecutive drives in the second quarter. A Richie James muffed punt which was recovered at the Kansas City 17 only netted three points, an ensuing Darius Williams fumble was given right back by the offense, and an Andre Cisco interception became a turnover on downs for Lawrence and co.
The Jaguars will be forced to move on knowing they left enough points on the field to win this game.
Individually, however, multiple Jaguars had a solid day and kept this one close throughout. Defensively it was a day for the linebackers as the tandem of Devin Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun produced over 20 tackles, while offensively Christian Kirk had a 100-yard game and Evan Engram secured six catches for 57 yards.
For the second straight game special teams dominated; Brandon McManus was pure on all his place-kicking attempts and punter Logan Cooke was lights-out from his very first boot. In each facet of the game, one player proved themselves to be indispensable to what easily could have been a winning effort.
Offense: QB Trevor Lawrence
Jaguars fans rejoice, Trevor Lawrence has again proven what we all already know to be fact; with the Clemson product throwing the ball, you always have a chance.
Despite facing a Chiefs defensive line bolstered by the return of Chris Jones–who recorded five pressures, 1.5 sacks and a batted pass in only 34 snaps–Lawrence stood tall and took a beating to the tune of four sacks. With everything falling apart around him, Lawrence still put this team in positions to win this game.
According to Pro Football Focus Lawrence threw for 307 air yards, a stark contrast to the 216 passing yards he recorded in the box score. Wide receiver Zay Jones’ zero-catch, zero-yard day was particularly brutal; Lawrence threw for 110 air yards when targeting the East Carolina product.
Laden with disappointing performances from wide receivers Calvin Ridley–who was lost to injury for a stretch–and Jones, the Jaguars still managed to produce nearly 300 yards of total offense. In a game where nothing went the way of the Jaguars, stability at the quarterback position helped Jacksonville stay competitive for a full 60 minutes.
For a team with lofty playoff expectations, going the distance with the reigning Super Bowl champions has got to count for something.
Defense: S Andre Cisco
Though defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and Devin Lloyd had strong showings, safety Andre Cisco ultimately made the most pivotal defensive plays on Sunday. After one of the best tackling performances of his career, Cisco turned his attention to the skies above EverBank Stadium against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
On 2nd and 14 from their own 39-yard line, Mahomes uncorked a deep shot intended for wide receiver Justin Watson. Simultaneously, defensive end Josh Allen came careening towards the two-time MVP, knocking Mahomes off-platform as he released the ball.
Andre Cisco made certain that Mahomes’ mistake would not go unpunished.
The third-year safety intercepted a badly underthrown ball, stopping the Chiefs and swinging momentum back toward the Jaguars. Though the offense ultimately turned the ball over on 4th-and-5, Cisco made the play that gave Jacksonville a spark they failed to stoke into a flame.
The Jaguars defense has shown flashes through two games of the 2023 season, and safety Andre Cisco has played a crucial role in their overwhelmingly positive early returns.
Special Teams: P Logan Cooke
Not much went right for the Jaguars on offense, and when the chains aren’t moving punters become some of the most important people on the field. Punter Logan Cooke was called upon five times on Sunday, and routinely pinned the Chiefs deep in their own territory.
At the beginning of the second half Kansas City drove down the field and scored a touchdown in only seven plays. On the Jaguars' ensuing drive, the offense sputtered and needed Cooke to get them out of a jam from their own 38-yard line.
Queue the action-movie music and cool explosions as the perpetually cool Cooke launched a punt 57 yards to the Kansas City nine-yard line. The Chiefs offense gained just 13 yards in six plays, and quickly punted the ball back to Jacksonville.
With four punts downed within the 20-yard line, Logan Cooke bumped his percentage of punts within the 20 to 60% on the season. That mark would be the best single-season total of his career, and his six on the year are currently tied for the league lead with Patriots rookie punter Bryce Beringer.
If the Jaguars can transform these impressive individual efforts into units that effectively play what the pundits would refer to as ‘complementary football,’ Jacksonville will be back in the ‘W’ column as soon as next week. Despite the loss, there’s room for optimism and improvement in Duval County.
