Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Madden sim says Frank Clark will dominate Jacksonville

The Kansas City Chiefs go up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game of the new regular season on Sunday. Here’s what Madden says/sims.

The Kansas City Chiefs go up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game of the new regular season on Sunday, and with Madden 20‘s simulation feature, we are able to get a little taste of what to expect as fans anxiously await Sunday afternoon.

One of the biggest questions heading into this game is concern over the defense and how well it would perform as a unit, regardless of the talent. Defensive staff and players need to be able to perform well as a whole in order to deliver a solid game — and they did just that.

The Chiefs won the toss, deferring the ball to the Jaguars on the crisp Sunday afternoon. Both teams got off to a rough start, but the Jaguars were not able to get anything going. Back-to-back sacks by the Chiefs’ defensive end Frank Clark forced Foles to attempt a tough pass—one that was ultimately intercepted on third down by Dorian O’Daniel. It only went downhill from there for the Jaguars.

After the Chiefs were held to just 3 points in the first quarter on a booming 53-yard field goal from Harrison Butker, they managed to storm back in the second quarter. A deep ball from the 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes to wide receiver Tyreek Hill all but sealed the Jaguars’ early fate as the receiver scored a 65-yard touchdown. The ground game was not silent, either.

Another field goal from Butker (33 yards) put the Jaguars down 13-0 to end the half, meaning they had to get something going if they wanted any chance to win this football game in the simulation. The Jaguars’ hopes glimmered in the slightest as Foles led his offense on a 9-play drive that resulted in running back Leonard Fournette bulldozing his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line. To make matters easier, they were able to hold the Chiefs to 0 points in the third quarter—just 100 offensive yards.

Just as things were starting to look up for Jacksonville, Mahomes did what Mahomes does best: he took over the game. A quick first down strike to wideout Byron Pringle started what would ultimately be the Jaguars’ downfall. After executing a near-flawless, six-play drive, it seemed like it was one mistake after another for the Jaguars. Three sacks on three separate drives decimated the Jaguars and eliminated any hope of a comeback, including 2.5 for Clark, and a half sack for the rookie Khalen Saunders. Safety Tyrann Mathieu would also get an interception in the final quarter to kill the Jags morale.

After managing to score on a drive that lasted just three minutes, with a touchdown from Foles to wide receiver Marqise Lee, the Jaguars decided to kick the ball off deep instead of kicking an onside. With just ten minutes left in the game, it was up to Mahomes and his electrifying offense to seal the deal and head back to Kansas City with a win under their belt. They managed to do just that.

A quick slant to Demarcus Robinson set the Chiefs up perfectly at the Jaguars’ 30-yard line. In what may or may not be considered a surprise, LeSean McCoy lined up next to Mahomes, with fresh legs and a hunger for the end zone. As soon as the ball snapped, the explosiveness McCoy possessed could only be compared to a supersonic jet. McCoy steamrolled his way to the end zone, with the exhausted Jaguars defense wavering behind him. This all but sealed the Jaguars’ fate, as if it hadn’t been already.

MVP

The Most Value Player of the game is Frank Clark, without a doubt. 8 total tackles, 6 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks was a game that would almost certainly earn him Defensive Player of the Week honors in real life. Unfortunately, though, this is a simulation — there is no 100% accurate way to predict how a game or season will go.

Regardless, Clark had an amazing outing and will surely have a major impact in Sunday’s game when the real-life Chiefs face off against the Jaguars. Tight end Travis Kelce also deserves an honorable mention, as he managed to score a touchdown with 7 receptions for 86 yards.

All in all, it was a great first game for the Chiefs. Their five total sacks and two interceptions absolutely decimated the Jaguars. The last time the Chiefs faced off against the Jaguars, the latter went into Week 5 of the 2018 season with high hopes. The Chiefs started what would be the beginning of the end for the Jaguars’ 2018 campaign, and could quite possibly do the same in Week 1 of the 2019 season.

Hopefully, Sunday’s game will be as spectacular as this simulation was, and fortunately we do not have to wait much longer to find out.