Chiefs Vs Jaguars Divisional Round: Keys To Victory

The time for talking is almost over before Saturday’s kickoff. The Divisional Round playoff games begin with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs from Arrowhead Stadium. Of course, Jacksonville pulled off one of the largest postseason comebacks in NFL history last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. Whereas with Kansas City, the Chiefs will be joining the playoff atmosphere following their first-round bye.

The Chiefs defeated the Jaguars in Kansas City during the regular season, winning by a score of 27-17. Can the Chiefs top the up-and-coming Jaguars, once again? Or, will this improbable run of Jacksonville ride into the AFC Championship Game?

Today, we will be listing some keys to victory for each squad. How could either the Chiefs or the Jaguars emerge victorious? We will list three keys for both Kansas City and Jacksonville. Let’s kick it off.

Keys To Victory- Kansas City

Feed Toney Early And Often

One of Kadarius Toney‘s more impressive games came against the Jaguars earlier this season. Overall, Kansas City should not hesitate to get him the ball in space early and often on Saturday. He is electric, when it comes to making defenders miss in the open field. And with Mecole Hardman ruled out with an injury, Toney could continue to give the Chiefs momentum with a healthy dose of touches, regardless of how simple the play calls are. The more he gets going, the more that could possibly open up more looks for other pass catchers like JuJu Smith-Schuster or even Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Mix It Up In The Secondary

Kansas City’s defensive backs have truly found their groove late this season. While this group will primarily rely on man coverage and press coverage at the line of scrimmage, the Chiefs must continue to mix and disguise coverages, here and there. Trevor Lawrence found success against man coverage in the first meeting. By using vertical stretch passes with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, Jacksonville was able to stay in the game into the second half. This does not mean that the Chiefs should totally alter what they have been doing in the secondary. Yet, Kansas City must be willing to offer occasional new wrinkles that Lawrence did not see the first time around.

Sharp Special Teams

The bottom line is, Kansas City has been horrid for most of the season on special teams. You cannot allow that area to cost you in the postseason, if you are the Chiefs. Simple fundamentals like protecting the football on returns and displaying proper body positioning on blocks is crucial. Elsewhere, the Chiefs will look to be more consistent on their kicking attempts. Can Kansas City trust in Harrison Butker with the game on the line? It worked in the past. Will it work in this year’s playoffs? The Jaguars are dangerous with their kick and punt returns, to boot, making Kansas City’s coverage something to monitor.

Keys To Victory- Jacksonville

Start Fast

Honestly, both teams are known to start slow. Though, the Jaguars arguably need the faster start, compared to the Chiefs. Kansas City has been there and done that in the postseason. Jacksonville was certainly confident in being able to mount last week’s comeback. However, the Jaguars have been forced to comeback from early deficits far too often late in the season. Another slow start may be too large of an emotional hurdle to get over, especially after last week’s rare feat. The better the Jaguars start out of the gate, the more pressure they put on the Chiefs.

Force Them To Stop Etienne

If you look back at the first matchup between these two teams, Travis Etienne was mostly held in check. That was definitely true on the ground, as Etienne mustered 45 rushing yards on just 11 carries. At the same time, this is a running back that is capable of breaking a long run at any moment. Etienne is unique, in that he has long and wide strides, along with a low center of gravity, despite his smaller frame. He can run through tackles or make defenders miss. It may not be the best option for outscoring Kansas City, but Jacksonville could look to feed Etienne continually, until the Chiefs prove that they can stop him.

Pick Your Poison

This final key has to do with the Jaguars pass rush. From a statistical perspective, Jacksonville may not blow anyone away here. In total, the Jaguars finished tied with the Carolina Panthers for the sixth-lowest sack figure in 2022 (35 sacks). This group can offer plenty of speed, nevertheless, something the Chiefs have struggled with in the past. Jacksonville can also benefit by the coverage instincts of names like Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Foyesade Oluokun and others. Simply put, the Jaguars have the luxury of bringing the house with speed as a pass rush. Or, they can rely on sharp reactionary skills of their front seven, by dropping more guys back into coverage. Can they clog up passing lanes at a consistent rate when they are not rushing the passer?

Be on the lookout for our FPC Chiefs articles and analysis following Saturday’s game. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.