Jacksonville Jaguars vs Kansas City Chiefs: Preview, odds, how to watch, more

The NFL playoffs roll on for another week. After an exciting first round of Wild Card games, the Divisional Round begin with a matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs, who are more linked than many know.

For close to a decade, Doug Pederson was an assistant to Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Pederson ended up leaving and becoming a Super Bowl-winning coach before his mentor finally claimed the ultimate prize. Pederson has found a new home in Duvall and has helped turn around a Jacksonville franchise in just one full season.

While Jacksonville has shown tremendous strides in improvement, the Chiefs have made transformations of their own and have become even better than before. After trading Tyreek Hill in the offseason, speculation emerged if Patrick Mahomes could be as good as he was without one of the best receivers in football. Mahomes answered the bell in droves this season, is the likely favorite for MVP and has given the Chiefs home-field advantage.

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Similar offenses, similar coaches, and similar goals. It all comes to a head when the Jags and Chiefs square off on Saturday. We have everything you need to know about the second-round NFL playoff matchup here.

Jacksonville Jaguars (10-8) @ Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)

Game Details:

Location: Arrowhead Stadium

Time: Saturday, January 21st at 4:30 pm – ET

Channel: NBC

Betting Stats

Spread: KC -8.5

Moneyline: KC (-480), JAX (+360)

Over/Under: 53

Matchup Preview

A quarterback matchup featuring Trevor Lawrence and Patrick Mahomes could light fireworks up to start the second round of the playoffs. Lawrence is coming off an incredible second-half comeback over Los Angeles in which he threw four touchdown passes in the win.

With Travis Etienne and Evan Engram, the Jaguars’ offense has become one of the most exciting and dangerous in football. Their defense, while not forcing a turnover in last Saturday’s game, also showed out in the second half by suffocating the Chargers’ offense into clock mismanagement.

But playing Patrick Mahomes is far different.

Mahomes and the Chiefs have enjoyed one of their better years together. The MVP quarterback leads the league in most passing categories while helping Kansas City to the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs have gotten offense in a variety of different ways and are back to being the most dangerous in the NFL.

Having Andy Reid, a coach who doesn’t really lose with two weeks of prep also helps in those situations as well throughout his NFL career. The relationship between Reid and Pederson will be talked about throughout Saturday’s contest. Pederson is 0-2 against his mentor and Reid has had great success against his former staff members in the playoffs.

The Chiefs will be favored and for good reason on Saturday. Jacksonville will have to be at the top of their game if they even think about heading to the conference title.

Players to Watch

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville quarterback

Lawrence was a tale of two halves in the Wild Card round last week. The Jags’ top overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft threw four first-half picks before turning it around in impressive fashion. That was against LA though. If Lawrence has another four-interception game, the Jags will more than likely get blown out on the road in Arrowhead. It’s a slippery slope in the NFL, but turnovers matter most in the playoffs.

Chris Jones, Kansas City defensive tackle

The Chiefs’ defense is one of the best they’ve had in recent memory. A big part of that is Chris Jones having another top season. Jones tied his career high in sacks during the NFL regular season and was named a first-team all-pro. Kansas City’s defense has received a major boost because of their defensive tackle’s play and it’s become a feared unit. An easy way to see if Jacksonville will get blown out Saturday will be to see how well Jones is playing.

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For more NFL coverage, like this Jaguars and Chiefs preview, visit AMNY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass against the Houston Texans during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)