The Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs will open the 2019 season for what could be an interesting matchup Week 1. The two teams are currently on very different trajectories, whilst the Jaguars have reshuffled their roster desperately try to regain their 2017 form, Kansas City simply reloaded in the hope of going one further than their AFC championship loss in New England.
The Jags were one of the few teams able to stop Patrick Mahomes from doing utterly ridiculous things last season. The reigning league MVP actually finished with an 0:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Unfortunately, as has been the case so often in recent years, the Jaguars’ offense couldn’t get out of its own way as Jacksonville fell 30-14 at Arrowhead.
With what looks to be a potentially entertaining game only a few hours away, here are a few bold predictions for the Jaguars Week 1:
Dede Westbrook will have 2 touchdowns
Dede Westbrook is a legitimate No. 1 receiver in my opinion. The Jaguars receiving corps is a strange group, there’s no end of promise but so far it lacks production.
With this being Marqise Lee’s first game since a serious injury, Westbrook has a chance to assert himself as Foles’ favorite target for 2019. The Chiefs’ secondary has been the weak-point of that team since they traded Marcus Peters and the Jaguars’ receivers will hopefully find some joy during the game.
With rookie tight end Josh Oliver sidelined, Westbrook quickly finds himself as one of the more dependable red-zone targets despite his smaller stature. Couple that with his ability to stretch the field, and he has a chance to make fantasy owners very happy this weekend.
Defense accumulates 4 sacks
The Chiefs might have the best right tackle in football in Mitchell Schwartz, but he can only block one man. That leaves former first-round pick Eric Fischer and the rest of the offensive line up against either Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Campbell and seventh overall pick Josh Allen.
Todd Wash often brings pressure from all over the field, so if the secondary is able to lock up the Chiefs’ vast array of receiving talent long enough the Jaguars’ pass-rush should find some joy in the backfield.
That Chiefs’ line might not be a revolving door, but four sacks is certainly not out of the question. It would also go a long way to helping the Jaguars provide an upset this weekend.
Leonard Fournette has 150 total yards
Jacksonville’s new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo has made a point of getting Leonard Fournette more involved, and doing new things in his offense. Quarterback Nick Foles thrived in Philadelphia with DeFlippo as his position coach by running lots of RPOs and relying on the run game.
A receiving element to Fournette’s game will hopefully stop opposing defenders from loading the box and limiting his running abilities, which is a big reason why his career best in the NFL is still less than 3.9 yards per carry.
The Jaguars would do well to get Fournette involved early. Screens, check downs and a strong run game will help settle Foles into his new role as the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback and hopefully let the Jaguars dictate the early pace of the game at home. With the improved receiving element of his game coupled with a heavy workload, hopefully Fournette can kickstart a strong 2019 campaign.
No Touchdowns for Tyreek Hill
The Jaguars’ coaches left no room for mystery when they announced Jalen Ramsey would be shadowing Tyreek Hill in this game over a week ago.
Ramsey managed to keep hill out of the end-zone last season, but was burnt once or twice allowing the star receiver four catches for 61 yards on seven targets.
Hill has just been signed to a contract that makes him one of the highest-paid receivers in all of football, while it’s clear Ramsey wants to set the cornerback market after he arrived at training camp in a brinks truck. Shutting down one of the most electric players in the league will mean Ramsey’s worth only goes up.
