Why a Win Over Mahomes and the Chiefs Would Be Huge for the Jaguars

A win on Monday night could put the Jacksonville Jaguars in rare air. Can they pull it off?

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen greets quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sports fans will think back to the times they see their franchises emerge from the rubble to go on their magical run that no one will ever forget. For Jacksonville Jaguars fans in recent memory, it was 2017 with their top-ranked defense and an offense led by the tough Blake Bortles and rookie Leonard Fournette, or Trevor Lawrence's second season and their deep run in the postseason at 9-8.

This year, the Jaguars sit at 3-1 entering the grand stage of Monday Night Football to host the regining AFC champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The possibilites for this game are endless, but this matchup presents an idea that this could have the makings of a special night in Duval County.

I want to make something clear: this is not a make-or-break game for Jacksonville, who have a long season ahead, and are only over a quarter of the way through the season. The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in football and have shown to have the top-ranked defense in takeaways and a run game that is on the verge of being one of the most dominant.

The passing game remains a work in progress, and that should come with time and season progression as head coach Liam Coen, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the skill positions around him look for momentum. They may have found in against the San Francisco 49ers, but the Chiefs are not any other defense.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen (center) shakes hands with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (right) after the game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

"[Spaguolo] definitely puts a lot of pressure on you as an offense, as a play caller, your quarterback," Coen said earlier in the week. "To be able to see it pre-snap, what's the picture going to be post-snap, zero checks. You got to be zero ready at all times, and it could be back-to-back-to-back."

Patrick Mahomes will also be a significant challenge that will force the Jaguars to be on their heels for most of the game. However, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has this group in the right spot for the time being against the great Chiefs quarterback and future Hall of Famer.

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) makes a pass as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (3) defends at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"Obviously, everybody has to do a great job plastering down the field because he's just kind of kept so many plays alive in his career and been able, like you said, to get the ball down the field," Campanile explaind. "But, not only that, he really does a great job of throwing on time, the rhythm pass game is as good as there is in the league, too. So, you can't say enough good things about him because he really is an incredible player." 

A win against the Chiefs would not only put the Jaguars on their hottest start in a long time, but it would catapult them into discussions for not just the postseason, but as a possible dark horse to be competing for an AFC championship that would no longer be in the sights of Kansas City, who will be fighting for a secured wild-card spot with the Los Angeles Chargers taking control of the AFC West.

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