3 Chiefs who can’t repeat disaster from Week 1 against the Jaguars
Most people didn't have the Kansas City Chiefs losing at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 1 to the Lions on their bingo cards. But with Travis Kelce and Chris Jones out for the reigning Super Bowl champions, they looked lost at times against the NFC North favorites.
The good news for Patrick Mahomes and the rest of Andy Reid's team is that the loss is just 1/17th of the season. There are 16 more games ahead of them and, as such, they have the chance to put that disastrous performance behind them and make it a distant memory. That starts on Sunday in Week 2 as they play the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon.
If the Chiefs are going to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start and right the ship, though, these three players can't repeat the awful performances they put forth in the Week 1 loss to the Lions.
Chiefs who can't repeat Week 1 disaster, No. 3: Jawaan Taylor/Donovan Smith
Given that the Chiefs paid handsomely to replace Orlando Brown Jr. and Austin Wiley as their starting tackles from the 2022 season with the signings of Jawaan Taylor and veteran Donovan Smith, the team had to feel confident in the changes. After the loss to the Lions, however, they might not be feeling quite as strongly in that capacity.
Not only was Taylor tipping run/pass plays with his feet to the Lions defensive front (and possibly false-starting with alarming frequency) but he was also ineffective in every facet of the game. Even worse, Smith was on the same subpar level for the Chiefs at left tackle. Out of 64 tackles who qualified with enough snaps in Week 1, Taylor and Smith both ranked outside of the Top 50 in PFF's grading metrics (subscription required).
Even if Brown and Wiley weren't perfect players in Kansas City, they didn't put Mahomes under duress often at all and were effective enough to allow the Chiefs offense to operate at full capacity. Through one game, Taylor and Smith cannot say the same for their performances.
Though the Jaguars don't necessarily have the same level of player on the defensive front as the Lions threw at Kansas City, there is still plenty of talent, including 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker. And if the tackles don't step their games up for Week 2, it could result in more struggles for the offense moving forward.