Jaguars vs Chiefs: Staff roundtable and full Week 2 picks

Welcome to Big Cat Country’s weekly roundtable, where our staff previews each Jacksonville Jaguars game and makes picks for each NFL game.

The Jaguars are underdogs by 3 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, according to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Which Chief scares you more: Chris Jones or Travis Kelce?

Caitlin Connor: I would be more concerned with Travis Kelce. While Chris Jones would make an impact, I think the Mahomes/Kelce connection would make a bigger impact.

Mark Dhooge: Travis Kelce. The Chiefs offense, and more specifically Patrick Mahomes, is a different beast when he’s on the field. With the Chiefs receivers showing they’re not ready to start the season, I think Andy Reid leans heavily on Kelce.

Joseph Henry: Kelce has burned the Jaguars too many times in past matchups for me to not be scared of the type of game he will have in his return Sunday. However, I think Chris Jones will have more of an impact this week — even if he can only go for a slightly limited number of snaps. Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner gave Jacksonville’s interior offensive line fits last weekend, and that unit still won’t be 100% despite Brandon Scherff and Luke Fortner being ready to give it a go on Sunday. Jones is going to get his, but the Jaguars need to prepare their offensive game plan to try and limit his impact on Trevor’s play.

Travis Holmes: After watching DeForest Buckner end Week 1 with the eighth-highest pass rush win rate in the league, I shudder at the idea of allowing a fresh Chris Jones the opportunity to follow up that performance. The Jaguars’ interior offensive line struggled with power versus the Colts’ interior rush last week, and the Jags previously gave up 6 pressures to Jones in last season’s playoff matchup with the Chiefs. With Brandon Scherff potentially being hobbled, Luke Fortner still struggling versus power as he did in 2022, and Ben Barch still working his way back to his full pre-injury self, that alarm is raised to DEFCON levels for this week.

Gus Logue: Both of these superstars match up well against Jacksonville’s weaknesses on either side of the ball: interior blocking on offense and middle-of-the-field coverage on defense. Since Kelce is dealing with a knee injury, and Jones only missed the season opener due to a contract holdout, I think the latter will be a bigger factor.

Adam Snowden: It’s a close call, but I’d go with Chris Jones as the scarier of two beasts this week. While Kelce carries the Chiefs’ pass-catching room, Patrick Mahomes is still gonna be Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs offense is elite any time this man is on the field. If Jacksonville wins this game, it will be because its revamped offense scores 30-plus points -- Chris Jones against an O-line that struggled against the Colts in Week 1 is the greatest threat to that happening.

Henry Zimmer: Travis Kelce scares me the most, hands down. He is in game shape and is always a threat no matter the circumstances. The Jags do have the speed and size to compete with him, but there really is never an answer for Kelce.

What do the Jaguars need to do differently after losing at K.C. twice last season?

Caitlin: I think the Jaguars need to be better in coverage. Along with this, the offense needs to maintain momentum.

Mark: Keys to victory are taking care of the football and converting on third down. Week 10 last season saw the Jaguars take care of the football but struggled converting on 3rd down (4-14). In the Divisional Round it was the exact opposite; converting 7 of 13 times but turning the ball over twice. Sunday they’ll need to be successful within aspects, keeping Mahomes off the field, in order to pull out the victory.

Joseph: I’m trying really hard to resist the urge to say they need to score more points, but my answer is basically that. This offense showed against the Colts that even on a lackluster day, it can be an electric unit. If the Jaguars steer clear of turnovers and limit their empty possessions on Sunday, they certainly have enough juice to beat the Chiefs, even if Mahomes is at his best (which I certainly expect he will be coming off a close loss).

Travis: I know it sounds funny to say, but they can’t win if they can’t score more points. The Jaguars scored 17 and 20 points versus the Chiefs in 2022, which simply doesn’t cut it. The Jags will need a clean game with no turnovers on offense and likely a big special teams day from Agnew. Historically, if you’re not scoring in the 27-28 point range you’re not beating this offense led by a human cheat code.

Gus: Throw the ball to Calvin Ridley. Jacksonville’s offense, and overall organization, will go as far as those two take it. We’ll know after this week whether the Jaguars have an elite offense that can compete for a Super Bowl.

Adam: First, pass protection. Chris Jones dominated the Jags’ offensive line last season, leaving Trevor little time to throw. His numbers are significantly worse when he is consistently under pressure, and Jacksonville needs its offense humming on all cylinders to win this game. Second, pass rush. As anyone with two eyes and a brain knows, Mahomes is a magician in the pocket, and he is at his very best when he can extend plays and improvise. 99 times out of 100, if you give Mahomes enough time, he will find an open man downfield. Reducing his time to throw is critical in slowing down this elite passing attack.

Henry: Mental errors need to be eliminated completely. Things like an Agnew drop or double fumbles from last week are how the Chiefs gain that one-up on teams and never look back. Play to the script, and the win is there.

Final score prediction?

Caitlin: Jaguars 34, Chiefs 31

Mark: Chiefs 24, Jaguars 16

Joseph: Jaguars 27, Chiefs 24

Travis: Chiefs 41, Jaguars 24

Gus: Jaguars 30, Chiefs 28

Adam: Chiefs 38, Jaguars 31

Henry: Jaguars 28, Chiefs 24

Here are our staff’s Tallysight picks for the full slate of games this week.

What are your Week 2 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!