The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in an unusual position, and that's a good thing. They're 3-1 and coming off a convincing win over the San Francisco 49ers. Now, the Jags have a great opportunity to make noise across the NFL landscape when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Even after defeating the Niners, Jacksonville is still not seen as a legitimate contender. A win against the Chiefs would most definitely change that. After all, Kansas City has been the standard in the league dating back to the late 2010s. And as long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are at the helm, that won't change anytime soon.
Of course, this is going to be a tough challenge for the Jags. They're currently a 3.0-point underdog in spite of their strong start to the season. Then again, they have the ammo to potentially pull off an upset, like they did against San Francisco.
With that in mind, here are three bold predictions for the Week 5 game against the Chiefs.
Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten will combine for 150+ yards
If it ain't broken, don't fix it. That's precisely the philosophy the Jaguars have adopted this season with their running game. While they haven't been able to get their passing game going, their running game has been clicking.
Only one time has Jacksonville deviated from the formula — against the Cincinnati Bengals — and they lost that game. In Week 5, expect the Jags to dial up a handful of deep shots, but their game plan needs to revolve around Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten if they want to beat the Chiefs.
If they stick to the plan and the offensive line performs as they have this season, Etienne and Tuten will cross the 150-yard mark.
Speaking of the offensive trenches...
The Jaguars O-Line won't give up a sack vs. the Chiefs
One big reason the running game has been successful has been the hog mollies up front. Heading into Week 5, the Jacksonville offensive line ranks first in sack rate, second in pressure rate, and fourth in yards before contact in the NFL.
Now, it's important to point out that the Jags are dealing with several injuries in the trenches before the game. Chuma Edoga, Ezra Cleveland, Anton Harrison, and Patrick Mekari are dealing with ailments. That's three starters and their best backup, but even if one or two of them sit out the matchup, the unit's play shouldn't suffer a step dropoff.
That's why you should expect them to once again keep Trevor Lawrence clean and allow no sacks against the Chiefs.
The Jaguars secondary will neutralize Xavier Worthy
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy is quickly turning into the Chiefs' biggest playmaker. After missing time early this season, he led Kansas City in both rushing and receiving yards in Week 4.
There's no doubt that the 2024 first-round pick will be a huge part of the game plan against the Jaguars, but defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will be prepared to counter him.
The Jacksonville secondary is the talk of the town because it has recorded a league-best nine interceptions to start the season. Expect the group to continue to create turnovers against the Chiefs, but also to take Patrick Mahomes' most trusted target away.