The first game of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs pits the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Kansas City Chiefs, against the No. 4 seed Jacksonville Jaguars.
With the Jags coming off a rollicking comeback win over Kansas City’s AFC West brethren, they surely have an upset on their minds as they travel to the midwest. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are hoping to secure a trip to their fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game. They’ve made it at least that far in every year of the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era, and it’s unlikely they want that streak to come to an end now.
So, which of these teams will advance to the next round? We’re glad you asked. Before we break down the matchup, here’s a look at how you can watch the game.
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
TV: NBC | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Chiefs -8.5, O/U 53 (courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)
When the Jaguars have the ball
It’s extremely hacky to imitate the opening of A Tale of Two Cities when introducing a point, but damn if last week wasn’t the worst of halves followed by the best of halves for Trevor Lawrence. Prior to halftime against the Los Angeles Chargers, Lawrence was just 10 of 24 for 77 yards, one touchdown, and an incredible FOUR interceptions. After the break, he went 18 of 23 for 211 yards and three touchdowns, with zero picks.
Obviously, the former type of half absolutely cannot happen against Kansas City if the Jaguars want to stay in the game. The Chiefs are not the Chargers, and they will not let an opponent survive that type of performance. And the Jags really might need Lawrence to play at the level he reached in that second half, for the entire game, just to keep up with Kansas City’s explosive offense. That means he’ll also need to exceed the performance he put forth when these teams met back in Week 10, when he completed 29 of 40 passes, but for just 259 yards (6.5 per attempt) and two touchdowns. It was a solid game, but not nearly enough to keep up with what Patrick Mahomes was doing on the other side of the ball.
If Lawrence is to get the types of results the Jags need from him, it will likely come via throws to the middle of the field. Kansas City ranked 29th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA on those throws, while Lawrence went 35 of 48 for 392 yards, five touchdowns, and…
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