Stats prove Jawaan Taylor isn't nearly as bad as Chiefs fans think

The Kansas City Chiefs got in the win column this past weekend, as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. This was the first game this season in which star tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones were in the lineup. One story to come out of the game was right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

In Week 2 against the Jaguars, Taylor was benched briefly by head coach Andy Reid after picking up five penalties in the game -- two for false starts, two for holding, and one for illegal formation. This comes one week after he was under scrutiny for his formation and stance in the team's 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. As it turns out, Taylor was actually pretty good in the Jaguars game when you look past the penalties.

Caleb James of Arrowhead Pride pointed out that in pass protection, Taylor had 25 island wins in 29 true pass plays and allowed just one pressure.

Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor was great in pass protection in Week 2, minus the penalties

According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor didn't allow a single sack, quarterback hit, or quarterback hurry in pass protection. All in all, that's all that the Chiefs could have asked for. The thing is, the penalties really hurt him. Keeping quarterback Patrick Mahomes should be a priority.

The Chiefs offensive line went through a bit of an overhaul this past offseason. Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie both left in free agency for the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders, respectively. The Chiefs used their money in free agency after losing out on both to bring in Taylor, who spent the entirety of his career with the Jaguars. The deal was hefty, as it was worth $80 million over four seasons.

Reid said he took out Taylor for a couple of plays to get him to clear his mind, mentioning that this was a homecoming for him, as he grew up in Cocoa, Fla., and played for the Jaguars.

"This is home,'' Reid said, h/t ESPN. "Not only home, but it's also where he played, and [the Chiefs told him] 'Just step back, and let's get you back out there.' He had some big blocks down later in the game there, so he did a nice job finishing.''

Taylor will look to build off his pass-blocking performance next week when the Chiefs take on the 0-2 Chicago Bears.