As the Chiefs take on the Jaguars to start the 2019 season, several players will be under the microscope. Here are two Chiefs players on each side of the ball to keep an eye on.
Offense- WR Sammy Watkins
Watkins made a big difference for Kansas City’s offense last season when he was healthy. The problem, however, was that he missed six games due to injury (practically seven games given that he only played five snaps in Week 11).
With receiver Tyreek Hill possibly being shadowed by All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey all game long, Watkins could be the go-to man for quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Watkins should be lining up against A.J. Bouye quite a bit, who is a very good cornerback in his own right.
If you’re wondering rather Watkins can be the featured receiver for an entire game, look back no further than last year’s AFC championship game. While Hill was held to just one catch, Watkins recorded 114 receiving yards.
One of the juicy offseason topics for K.C. was that Watkins is in the best shape of his career. That narrative will be put to the test against a very good Jacksonville defense. Also, keep in mind this is the first time Watkins isn’t learning a new offense in three seasons. This will be a good opportunity for Watkins to have a fast start to the 2019 season and open things up for the rest of the Chiefs offense.
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Defense- S Tyrann Mathieu
Mathieu is one of the many newcomers to the Chiefs’ defense and a crucial one at that. The K.C. secondary was flat-out embarrassing for the better part of 2019. The Chiefs brought Mathieu in not only for an upgrade of talent but to fill the leadership role left by former Chiefs safety Eric Berry.
Mathieu will have his hands full. He’ll be asked to patrol the back-end of the defense as well as come up and play near the line of scrimmage. With the Chiefs being so thin at cornerback, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo may ask Mathieu to play there in some situations.
The Jaguars’ passing attack isn’t exactly threatening, which could help ease the K.C. secondary into action. This will be the first real look at Mathieu flying around and making plays in a Chiefs uniform. Also, keep an eye out for all the different areas on the field he lines up at.
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