2) Lawrence, receivers need to get rolling
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is off to the best W-L four-game start of his career (3-1 record) but has struggled to get the ball to his top receivers. Lawrence is completing a career low 58.3 % of his passes, however, and has a 75.1 passer rating, which ranks 30th out of the 33 qualified QBs, per NFL Research. Brian Thomas Jr. is having a sophomore slump in his first four games. Thomas, who had seven dropped passes in his rookie year, is up to five in his second season in Duval. The Jaguars WR1 appears to lack concentration at times and miscommunication with Lawrence. However, it’s not all on Thomas as Lawrence hasn’t been accurate, either. No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter has 13 catches for 118 yards. Hunter, who has been playing both sides of the ball, has yet to make a major impact on offense. Tight end Brenton Strange leads the Jaguars with 19 receptions and 182 receiving yards. Lawrence and Co. need some explosive plays if they want to keep up with Mahomes and the Chiefs on Monday night.
3) Tale of two running games
When Liam Coen was brought to Duval many expected the first-year head coach to be the quick fix for Trevor Lawrence. But Coen’s influence has been notable in Jacksonville’s running game. Jaguars RB Travis Etienne leads the NFL with 6.1 yards per carry and ranks third wih 394 rushing yards. According to Next Gen Stats, Etienne has 170 rush yards before contact, which is most in the league. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ backfield appears to be a shared one with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Unfortunately, it’s been quite the opposite to Jacksonville’s run game. Patrick Mahomes leads the team with 130 yards and two scores on the ground to Pacheco’s 127 and Hunt’s 115, respectively. Kansas City will have its hands full containing Etienne, but Pacheco and Hunt need to provide a spark with their hard-nose running style.