It’s rare to say that Week 2 is a must-win game for the Kansas City Chiefs, but after losing the season opener, that’s exactly where the team finds itself.
Falling to a 0-2 record would not be the end of the world by any means, but in a stacked AFC, the Chiefs cannot afford to fall too far behind. Losing on Sunday would put Kansas City two games behind Jacksonville, who could easily find themselves as the one seed with such a weak division in the AFC South.
Buy Chiefs TicketsThe Chiefs will be receiving reinforcements for week two, as Chris Jones has reported to the team after agreeing to a revised one-year contract. Travis Kelce is expected to play after missing week one with the knee injury he suffered in practice last week.
With Chris Jones back, defensive line must create pressure
Jacksonville’s pass-blocking against the Colts in week one was stout as no offensive line graded below 69.8 on PFF. However, Brandon Scherff suffered an ankle sprain during the game, forcing the offensive lineman to exit the game. Since then, Scherff is expected to play in week two, but he may not be 100%.
The combination of potentially not having Scherff at full health and Jones making his return to the Chiefs’ defensive line, will be a focal point in the game. Kansas City’s pass rush could have a much more manageable task with its best defensive player returning. It will be interesting to see if Jones takes the majority of snaps despite missing the whole offseason.
With Jones back in the fold, it should open up pass-rushing opportunities for George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Even if Jones receives limited snaps, he will, with no doubt, make a major difference in Kansas City’s pass rush.
Creating consistent pressure on Trevor Lawrence will be important if the Chiefs want to have a chance of winning this football game. The 23-year-old quarterback has proven that he is a franchise quarterback, and with his tall stature and underrated athleticism, containing him in the pocket needs to be the defense’s top priority.
If the Chiefs can create pressure without dialing up blitz packages that include defensive backs rushing in, it will be beneficial for the secondary which needs to focus on Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Zay Jones.
Isiah Pacheco must be more involved
Without Kelce last week and the pass-catching options struggling, Isiah Pacheco needed to be given more opportunities.
Eight carries are not enough to give a running back rhythm and consistent flow in the game. Now, maybe the Chiefs were trying to ease Pacheco in after dealing with a couple of injuries this offseason, but that does not warrant Clyde Edwards-Helaire inheriting first-team reps.
Edwards-Helaire has proven he is not going to make an impact on this offense, and running the ball with consistent success will kickstart the offense.
Last week, the Chiefs failed and struggled to run the ball consistently, leaving it to Patrick Mahomes to lead the team in rushing with 45 yards. That cannot be the formula for the Chiefs if they want to beat really good teams.
Mahomes can obviously carry the team, but that should not be asked of him week in and week out. Running the ball with a competent running back like Pacheco and having potentially the best defense in Mahomes’ tenure with the Chiefs are things the coaching staff needs to utilize more often.
Kansas City needs to return to the running back rotation of Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. Forget about getting Edwards-Helaire involved, as he is taking meaningful snaps from the other two running backs who showed they are highly productive when given the opportunity.
Receivers need to get back on track
The receiving room’s struggles in Week 1 have been well-documented.
With Kelce back in the lineup, the receivers will take a backseat to the 33-year-old tight end, but if the Chiefs want these receivers to develop and improve, they still must be depended on.
Kelce can be leaned on, but one or possibly even two of these receivers need to step up in the pecking order.
Jacksonville’s attention will certainly cater to Kelce, so that should give more space for the other pass-catching options to operate. It will also give the receivers more single coverage, as Jacksonville could look to double-team Kelce in the middle of the field.
If this game turns into Mahomes and Kelce having to repeatedly connect play after play, it could turn into a choppy game for the offense.
Mahomes will continue to attempt to get his other weapons involved, but they must execute at a high level and get open to begin with.
Kansas City’s offense is best when Mahomes can spread the ball around and naturally go through his progressions without having to look for Kelce constantly.
