Kansas City @ Jacksonville preview
TIAA Bank Field
Last Meeting ( Oct 24, 2010 ) Jacksonville 20, Kansas City 42
Barring a tie, one team will be halfway to last season's win total after the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in a matchup of the teams who tied for the worst record in the league a year ago. It's also the debut of two new head coaches, as Gus Bradley takes over in Jacksonville and Andy Reid guides the Chiefs after a long tenure in Philadelphia. It's the first meeting since 2010, when the Chiefs clobbered the Jaguars 42-20 in Kansas City, avenging a 24-21 loss in Jacksonville a year earlier.
The records might not tell the whole story of the Chiefs and Jaguars in 2012, but they tell most of it, as neither team put up impressive numbers on either side of the ball. Both did their best to address that through the draft and free agency and have playoff hopes - however unrealistic they are. Among the key matchups will be Jacksonville's ability to establish the run and take some pressure off quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars' ability to slow down Jamaal Charles and force quarterback Alex Smith into third-and-long situations.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Kansas City -3.5. O/U: 41.
ABOUT CHIEFS (2012: 2-14, fourth AFC West): The Chiefs had the No. 1 pick in the draft - which they used to take offensive tackle Eric Fisher - but he's not the only new face. Kansas City traded for Smith from San Francisco and added receiver Donnie Avery and tight end Anthony Fasano in hopes of developing a passing game to complement the electric Charles. The biggest improvements might be on defense as a revamped secondary hopes to allow a strong front seven to pin back their ears and wreak havoc.
ABOUT JAGUARS (2012: 2-14, fourth AFC South): The Jaguars' offense was crushed by the absence of Maurice Jones-Drew for most of last season, and having him healthy and in the backfield will do wonders for the offense. The team still isn't sold on Gabbert as its long-term solution at quarterback, but he will get one more chance to prove himself while versatile rookie Denard Robinson waits in the wings. The defense saw a ton of turnover in the offseason, which might be a good thing for a unit that gave up 380.5 yards per game.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe has 415 receptions and needs two to pass Henry Marshall for the second-most in franchise history.
2. Jacksonville is 18-8 when Jones-Drew rushes for 100 yards or more.
3. The Jaguars are 11-7 all-time in Week 1, the third-best opening week winning percentage in the league.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 23, Jaguars 16