Chiefs-Jaguars prediction: Last year was a rout; who grabs the W this time around?

The Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars open the season with a noon (Central time) kickoff. The game matches two teams that lost to the New England Patriots in the last two AFC Championship Games: the Chiefs last season and the Jaguars the previous year.

Chiefs at Jaguars

Kickoff: Noon (Central time), at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 5), KCFX (101.1 FM)

Line: Chiefs by 3 1/2

Blair Kerkhoff’s prediction: Chiefs, 24-21

Patrick Mahomes has started 19 NFL games, including last season’s playoffs, and the Chiefs have scored at least 26 points in all of them. But this might be the most difficult defensive assignment he’s faced. The Jaguars were the only team to hold Mahomes to no touchdown passes in a game last season, and Mahomes had his lowest passer rating of the season against Jacksonville. But this Chiefs offense has actually improved from the one that led the NFL in total yards and points in 2018, and that should be enough to get the Chiefs through their first task. Plus, Andy Reid is 4-0 in road openers as the Chiefs’ head coach.

This story was originally published September 6, 2019 at 5:11 PM.