The Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars will face off in a highly anticipated matchup on ‘Monday Night Football’ that is sure to excite fans across the country.
While Kansas City’s 2025 campaign got off to a slow 0-2 start, the Chiefs have bounced back over the past two weeks to get their record back to .500.
Jacksonville is 3-1 through four games, and the Jaguars will look to knock off the reigning AFC champions to prove that they have what it takes to compete for a Super Bowl championship in 2025.
This week, Chiefs Wire interviewed Paul Bretl of Jaguars Wire to get the inside scoop on Jacksonville before Monday’s game.
Take a look at his answers to our questions:
What would it take for the Chiefs to pry Travis Etienne Jr. away from Jacksonville at the trade deadline?
We’ve learned to expect the unexpected from GM James Gladstone, who has shown that he’s very willing to make trades. However, I would be surprised at this point if the team moved on from Etienne. Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen may be the future at the running back position for the Jaguars, but 2025 belongs to Etienne. He is RB1 in an offensive system built around run game success.
With Travon Walker questionable to play in Week 5, who will be the Jaguars’ top pass-rusher in his absence?
Walker returned to practice on Saturday and is listed as questionable. As Liam Coen put it, “I trust that if he says he can go, then we’ll go.” Walker makes up half of what is a formidable pass-rushing duo with Josh Hines-Allen. On the season, Hines-Allen has 23 pressures, tied for the third-most in football. If Walker can’t go, that will mean larger roles for Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot opposite of Hines-Allen.
Give me a temperature check on Jaguars head coach Liam Coen… how has he over/underperformed?
There are always areas of improvement, but the Coen era is off to a very good start. The offensive line play and run game have significantly improved since last season, and overall, this is a more complex offensive scheme for defenses to contend with. Defensively under Anthony Campanile, the Jaguars have generated three-plus takeaways each week. The players have bought in, and you can see that in their play.
‘Monday Night Football’ game prediction: Who wins and why?
I’m tempted to pick the Jaguars in this one, but I’ll go with the Chiefs. At 3-1, this is a big game for the Jaguars on the national stage. But for the Chiefs, as you know, they’re accustomed to the bright lights, and that experience will be a differentiator. Final score: Chiefs 20 – Jaguars 17