Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Nick Foles presents real offensive hope for Jacksonville
By Matt Conner
To get an inside look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ first opponent, we asked a Jaguars expert to tell us more about Nick Foles and the defense.
In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were the AFC’s bright young contender. The Jags’ defense powered them through the regular season at a 10-6 clip, and their power in the trenches led them to playoff wins over the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers (on the road!) before taking the Patriots all the way to the brink.
Given the youth on both sides of the ball, the Jags were the pick du jour heading into 2018 in the AFC South but then it all fell apart. A tougher schedule and injuries forced Blake Bortles to do more than he’s proved capable and the whole machine fell apart. The Jags fell to 5-11 after starting the season 2-0 (including a win over the Patriots) and the team faced a lot of questions.
These days, Bortles is out and Nick Foles is in, a chance for the former Super Bowl MVP to make a franchise his own and lead them to the promised land. The first step: the Chiefs at home in Week 1 in the midst of a hurricane watch.
To get a better idea of which team is the real Jaguars, we asked David Levin of our sister site Black and Teal to tell us what to expect and how Foles has this team believing again.
Last year was obviously a huge disappointment compared to the trajectory the Jags seemed to be on. Does the evidence point to last year as an anomaly or do you think that’s likely a better representative of the real ceiling versus the previous season?
That’s a great question and one every fan here in Jacksonville wants to know. Which team is the real one here in town? The Jaguars had been perennial losers for a decade before the 2017 season. They reached the playoffs with a great defense and power running game. Last year was an injury-filled disaster. A new quarterback, healthy roster and a stinging defense this season hopefully means another run at the AFC South crown.
Bortles vs. Foles. Does this feel like a significant step forward? A slight step? What are expectations?
It’s a really big deal and was discussed from the moment the team introduced Foles as their new franchise signal caller. For everything Bortles was, Foles is not and that’s a good thing. He throws the ball better, looks more confident in the huddle and most of all, players gravitate toward him. He has the city buzzing about the change and the season hasn’t started.
All you need to know is he has great chemistry in the locker room and the defensive players talk about how practicing against him makes them better.
Last year the Chiefs were up 20-0 at halftime and rolled to a 30-14 win. The Jags also held Mahomes without a single touchdown pass. What’s the confidence level in the Jags against the Chiefs given last year’s take?
I think the game was proof of the two sides of a quarterback who is no longer on team and an indication that this team needed to be better against top-level talent. The defense did not play as bad as stats would show. I also think this unit is better than last season in terms of athleticism up front. If the Chiefs jump out like they did last season to a big lead, this franchise has major issues.
What is likely the biggest aspect of the Jags that people are sleeping on?
The tight ends will be better this season. It’s been overemphasized by offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. The position has been forgotten in recent years. There aren’t any stars in the tight end room, but they will be utilized in many ways this season.
Any predictions for this opening game?
A steady dose of Leonard Fournette on the ground. The Jaguars will try to establish dominance early. I’m curious how the team tries to block Frank Clark. Will Josh Allen make an impact early? I don’t think the Jaguars win this game, but it will be a lot closer than last season. Chiefs win 24-23.