The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football at home. Notably, this is the first Monday Night Football game Jacksonville has hosted since December 4, 2023, when they welcomed the Cincinnati Bengals. With such significance, the football world will be watching the Jaguars closely, as this is one of the biggest games they have hosted in recent history. If they win, the Jags will improve to 4-1, marking their best start to a season since 1999, when they finished 14-2 in the regular season. Considering the stakes, a major question arises: how do they take down the Chiefs, a team that has won two Super Bowls in the last three years? Here are a few key points to note as the action unfolds.
1)Run the rock
The Kansas City Chiefs' defense has been really good over the last couple of seasons, but in the 2025 season, the Chiefs rank 22nd against the run, allowing 127 yards per game on the ground. With that being said, the Jaguars should definitely commit to the run like they have been so far. Currently, the Jaguars have the fourth-best rushing offense, averaging 144 yards per game on the ground. Travis Etienne and company should run the football right at the Chiefs more than they throw the football. And in running the football, they also keep Patrick Mahomes on the sideline and limit his possessions.
2) Contain Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is a talented pocket passer who has consistently impressed since entering the NFL. But what has made him even more dangerous is that he is using his legs more this season. Mahomes, when he sees things aren’t there, uses his legs to convert first downs and break contain or exploit seams in the defense. The Jaguars must keep him contained and in the pocket, avoiding the temptation to rush recklessly and allowing him to escape and create havoc with his feet or arm outside the pocket. It’s not going to be an easy task, but the Jaguars are going to have to do it.
3) Key number is 30 for Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence is a quarterback with exceptional skills, but his career has been marked by inconsistency. The way to minimize the ups and downs is to run the football, which Jacksonville does. However, the Jaguars must also ensure that Lawrence does not exceed 30 pass attempts. The more he passes the ball and throws it all over the field, the more susceptible he will be to interceptions. Combine that with the fact that he is 17-27 when he throws the football 30 times or more and that ought to help the Jags make the decision to not put the offense on his back as much, but to let him just be a point guard for the offense.
4) Turn Off “Need For Speed”
The Kansas City Chiefs have two speedsters in Tyquan Thornton and Xavier Worthy, who can cause problems. The Jaguars have been solid in their secondary, but dealing with the type of speed Thornton and Worthy can put on display is something different. The Jaguars' secondary, especially their cornerbacks, will be on high alert to keep these players in front of them and break upward, not backwards, to tackle them. It’s a tough challenge, but the Jaguars have the pieces to make it happen. We shall see if they actually are able to do it.