To get you ready for week 5, FanHouse is previewing all 14 NFL games. Here is the Jacksonville Jaguars/Kansas City Chiefs preview.2007 Records:
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-1 (T-2nd in AFC South)
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-2 (T-1st in AFC West)
Last Game(s):
Jaguars 23 - Broncos 14
Chiefs 30 - Chargers 16
When the Jaguars have the ball: Somehow, some way, the Jaguars have to find a way to get Maurice Jones-Drew going. Although they've been able to get by with the arm of David Garrard and the legs of Fred Taylor, Jones-Drew is crucial to Jacksonville's long-term success, and this might be the exact match-up he was waiting for. While the Chiefs pass defense is among the league's best, their rush defense is ranked 19th overall, allowing 4.2 yards per carry.
Defensively, Kansas City just needs to do what they've been doing. They had a little hiccup last week against LaDainian Tomlinson, but have been incredibly solid other than that. They currently rank third overall in the NFL, and have proven their ability to stop anyone as long as they stick to the gameplan.
When the Chiefs have the ball: It's a whole different game when Larry Johnson is doing his thing, and that was never more evident than last week. His struggles through the first three weeks resulted in the Chiefs scoring a total of 26 points, only three more than the number the offense scored last week (23) when he finally broke out. And while he may not be the entire offense, things are able to open up for Damon Huard, Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe when opposing teams are forced to focus on him.
For the exact reason listed above, the Jaguars will focus most of their efforts on shutting LJ down. If they can, it will be a long game for Kansas City. If they can't, we may see that fourth ranked defense picked apart. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, stopping the run is not their strong point.
The Edge: Experts, analysts and fans are always looking for the "edge" and what team has it. And this week, it's basically a push. Jacksonville is coming off a bye week where their players got much needed rest, while the Chiefs are riding a huge wave of momentum. This is one of those games where home field advantage could prove to be the difference maker.
Keep an eye on:
Eddie Drummond on returns: Kansas City let Donte Hall go because Drummond figured to be an adequate replacement. Unfortunately, that's not been the case. However, Drummond still has some explosive ability and this week could be the week he brings one back.
Jaguars offensive line versus the Chiefs front seven: Kansas City will look to put as much pressure on Garrard as possible, so it will be up to the Jags offensive line to keep him on his feet.
Note: As I mentioned earlier, this game involves two of the NFL's top five defenses. In Kansas City, that has come as a pleasant surprise. In Jacksonville, it's nothing new. This game will be hard fought, low scoring and will likely come down to a single big play.
