The New York Jets will face the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC battle on Sunday, with major playoff implications on the line.
The New York Jets traveled to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Sunday, in a matchup of potential AFC playoff participants. Playing in Arrowhead Stadium can be a daunting task for any team, but the Jets did have ten days to prepare after playing the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. The Jets came out stale, as they turned the ball over three times in the first half.
The Chiefs dominated the first half, scoring 17 unanswered points to start the contest. Travis Kelce got the Chiefs on the board with a 12-yard touchdown reception from Alex Smith. That would be the only scoring in the first quarter, as Kansas City went into the second frame with a 7-0 lead.
The Chiefs got on the board in the second quarter with a 27-yard field goal from Carlos Santos. On the ensuing kickoff, Jalin Marhsall fumbled the ball, and it was scooped up by Demetrius Harris. Harris scooted27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Chiefs a 17-0 lead. The Jets just could not seem to hold onto the ball all half, fumbling twice, and throwing an interception.
The turnovers continued in the second half for the Jets, as they were able to drive the ball into Kansas City territory on a couple of occasions. The problem was that Ryan Fitzpatrick kept throwing interceptions in the end zone, killing Jets drives. The Jets were driving with around five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Fitzpatrick threw his fourth interception, once again killing a possible late rally.
The game was put out of reach on Fitzpatrick’s fifth interception, as Derrick Johnson rumbled 55 yards for a touchdown. The defensive touchdown gave the Chiefs a 23-3 lead, and they would go on to win 24-3.
Highlights
Highlights will be posted throughout the game.
Three Stars Prediction
1. Chiefs Defense
The Chiefs held the Jets in check all afternoon, while forcing numerous turnovers in the game. Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted six times, and two of them were absolute killers. The Kansas City defense stepped up when it counted, as they intercepted Fitzpatrick twice in the end zone. The Jets came into the game after scoring 37 points last week against the Bills, but no such luck on Sunday.
Playing in Arrowhead Stadium is always a tough task, and the Jets were just not up to challenge on Sunday. A hobbled Brandon Marshall really hurt the offense, and Eric Decker was basically a no-show. The defense was opportunistic all day, and they sealed the game on Derrick Johnson’s 55-yard INT return for a score with 3:38 left in the game.
2. Travis Kelce
The big tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs came up big again this week, as he continuously made big plays against a tough Jets defense. He caught the only touchdown pass from Alex Smith in the game, and really opened up the middle of the field. He led all players with six receptions, while raking in a game-high 89 yards.
New York has tremendous talent on defense, but Kelce was able to make plays throughout. Smith did not have a great day statistically, but he utilized his big safety valve when he needed to. Kelce has once again established himself as one of the best tight ends in the AFC.
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3. Jets Defense
The game was a defensive struggle offensively, as both defenses played huge. The Jets were able to hold the Chiefs to only one touchdown, as they appeared to shore up some of their deficiencies from last week. The only had one turnover in the game, but were holding the Chiefs under 300 yards offense for most of the game.
The Jets really did nothing on offense, which put the defense in some tough situations the entire game. Despite allowing 24 points as a team, only ten of those came on offensive possessions, as the Chiefs scored on a fumble recovery, and an INT return. New York’s defense is good enough to keep them in any game, but they are going to struggle if the offense plays the way they did on Sunday.
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Odds
The Kansas City Chiefs will be a three-point home favorite heading into Sunday’s game against the Jets. The over/under started out at 44 at the beginning of the week, but has dropped to 42 as we inch towards kickoff.
Next Week
The New York Jets head back home for Week 4, as they welcome Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks to Metlife Stadium. The Chiefs will play a nationally-televised game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football.