Arrowhead Pride
Before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 4 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, every member of Arrowhead Pride’s panel correctly picked the Chiefs to win. Our composite prediction was for a 27-23 Kansas City victory, which carried 26 points of error from the 37-20 final. A relatively small group of our readers (14%) correctly predicted the Chiefs would collect a blowout — but apart from about one in four who thought the Ravens would win, a majority also thought it would be a close Kansas City victory.
In Week 5, the Chiefs are on the road to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on “Monday Night Football.” According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Kansas City is favored by three points.
Let’s see what the staff — and our readers — think about the matchup.
It’s easy to overlook Jacksonville, but they’re a pretty good team. If wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. doesn’t drop a fourth-down pass against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team would be 4-0. The defense has played above expectations — and right now, head coach Liam Coen is one of the NFL’s best playcallers. But while the team has a decent base of talent, they haven’t yet faced a team of Kansas City’s caliber. The Chiefs turned a corner against the Ravens. I expect them to keep that positive momentum going.
Chiefs 24, Jaguars 16
Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has always admired Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence — and now he’s impressed with the new scheme in which Lawrence is thriving. “It looks like a quarterback that is really comfortable in a system that is new,” he said on Friday. “You usually don’t see that right off the bat. They sure have put it together pretty good, pretty quick.” But this is still a team that has been depending on its running game and an opportunistic defense. As long as Kansas City’s defense can prevent big plays on the ground — and the offense avoids coughing up the ball — the Chiefs’ third win should be there for the taking.
Chiefs 30, Jaguars 20
The Chiefs enter Monday night at 2-2 after a convincing win over Baltimore, while Jacksonville sits at 3-1 behind a defense that has thrived on turnovers. The Jaguars boast a plus-nine turnover margin, but they’ve yet to be tested by an elite quarterback. Facing Patrick Mahomes — who rarely gives defenses extra chances — will be a different challenge altogether. Offensively, Jacksonville has shown a solid ground attack, but Lawrence has just five touchdown passes against four interceptions through four games. That lack of production could prove costly if Kansas City’s attack keeps its rhythm. The Jaguars’ defensive ends are capable of creating problems, but if the Chiefs’ tackles hold up, Mahomes should have time to exploit mismatches. Kansas City may not light up the scoreboard with another 37-point performance, but its efficiency on both sides of the ball should be enough to...
