Chiefs looking for 3rd consecutive win this season and 9th in a row against the Jaguars

Kansas City (2-2) at Jacksonville (3-1)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter, right, tries to avoid a tackle by Houston Texans linebacker Henry To’Oto’O after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs with the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) reacts after intercepting a pass by Houston Texans quarterback CJ. Stroud, not visible, during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes calls out on the line of scrimmage during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

BetMGM NFL odds: Chiefs by 3 1/2.

Against the spread: Chiefs 2-2, Jaguars 3-1.

Series record: Chiefs lead 10-6.

Last meeting: Chiefs beat Jaguars 17-9 on Sept. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville.

Last week: Chiefs beat Ravens 37-20; Jaguars beat 49ers 26-21.

Chiefs offense: overall (16T), rush (19), pass (12), scoring (14T).

Chiefs defense: overall (14), rush (22), pass (8), scoring (7).

Jaguars offense: overall (10), rush (4), pass (18T), scoring (16T).

Jaguars defense: overall (15), rush (4), pass (24), scoring (4).

Turnover differential: Chiefs plus-3; Jaguars plus-9.

RB Brashard Smith has slowly increased his workload through the first four games of his NFL career, and he could be poised to shoulder an even bigger load going forward. RBs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt may be dependable veterans, but neither has proven to have big-play potential, and that is what the speedy former wide receiver brings to the Kansas City offense.

DE Josh Hines-Allen needs two sacks to break the franchise record (55) set by Tony Brackens in 2003. Hines-Allen has 53 ½ sacks over seven seasons in Jacksonville, including 17 ½ in 2023. No one should be surprised to see him set the mark against former teammate Jawaan Taylor in prime time.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones vs. Jacksonville’s interior line. Jones has four sacks and an interception in five games — all wins — against the Jaguars. The 31-year-old Jones notched 1 ½ sacks in each of his past two games against Jacksonville, in 2022 and 2023, and will face a banged-up group that includes guards Ezra Cleveland (ankle) and Patrick Mekari (knee).

Chiefs: DE Mike Danna could return this week after dealing with a quad injury.

Jaguars: DE Travon Walker had surgery Monday to repair his left wrist but hasn’t been ruled out. S Eric Murray (neck), Mekari (knee) and RT Anton Harrison (elbow) are dealing with minor injuries.

The series has been lopsided lately, with Chiefs winning eight in a row. Jacksonville’s most recent victory against Kansas City came in 2009, four years before Andy Reid’s arrival. Reid’s first win with the Chiefs was a 28-2 beatdown in Jacksonville in the 2013 season opener. Then-rookie tight end Travis Kelce was active for that one but did not play.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs three more TDs to pass Priest Holmes (83) for most in franchise history. He needs 9 yards to pass Dante Hall (12,356) for the most combined yards by a Chiefs player. … Jones needs 4 1/2 sacks to pass Neil Smith (85 1/2) for third most in Chiefs history. … Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was the AFC offensive player of the week after throwing for 270 yards and four TDs without a pick last week against Baltimore. It was his 18th game with at least four TD passes, the most by any player in his first nine seasons. … Mahomes reached 250 TD passes in his 116th game, breaking the record for fastest held by Aaron Rodgers (121). … The Chiefs are tied with Buffalo and Philadelphia for fewest giveaways with one this season. … The Jaguars are 3-1 for the second time in the past 15 years and the first time since 2018. … Jacksonville leads the league with nine interceptions and 13 takeaways, with at least three in every game this season. The Jags are plus-9 in turnover margin, also tops in the league. … RB Travis Etienne is the only NFL player with at least 120 yards rushing in multiple games this season. He has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games. He ranks third in the league with 394 yards rushing. … Rookie WR/DB Travis Hunter played a season-low 47 snaps last week at San Francisco, including just nine on defense. He was seemingly benched on that side of the ball after giving up a 7-yard gain on a third-and-2 play to end the first quarter. “We’re going to get him right back into it this week,” coach Liam Coen said. … Brenton Strange is tied for fifth among TEs with 19 catches. DT Arik Armstead has at least half a sack in three consecutive games.

WR Xavier Worthy is an intriguing option because the Chiefs also have shown a propensity for giving him the ball on jet sweeps; he had a 35-yard carry last week.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s long-governing Liberal Democratic Party will choose a new leader on Saturday to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, but the winner must quickly restore political stability and regain public support for the struggling party to stay in power.

Three of the five candidates in Saturday’s intraparty vote are seen as the favorites. They include a woman who could become Japan’s first female prime minister, the son of a former prime minister and a veteran moderate.

The winner must act quickly to address rising prices if the party is to have any chance of winning back support after election losses to the LDP and its junior partner Komeito in the past year cost their coalition a majority in both houses of parliament.

The new party president is still likely to become prime minister because the LDP still has the most seats in the lower house, which chooses the prime minister, and opposition groups are splintered.

The winner will immediately face a big test — hosting a possible summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. A meeting is reported to be in the works as Trump travels to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea that starts Oct. 31.

Whoever becomes the LDP leader must also gain cooperation from main opposition parties or risk a cycle of short-lived leadership.

The vote is being held within the LDP — its 295 parliamentarians and 1 million dues-paying grassroots party members. That’s less than 1% of Japan’s eligible voters.

If no one wins a majority in the first vote on Saturday, a runoff will quickly follow between the top two vote-getters.

The lower house will then choose a new prime minister in a leadership vote expected in mid-October. The new LDP leader will need votes from some opposition lawmakers to take office.

All five candidates — two of them are currently in the government and three were in past Cabinets — have emphasized their willingness to work with opposition groups that are more centrist politically.

Surveys have suggested the front-runners are Sanae Takaichi, who could become the first female prime minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, who would be the youngest in more than a century, and Yoshimasa Hayashi, a veteran all-rounder.

Sanae Takaichi, 64, admires former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and is a protégée of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She is a wartime history revisionist and China hawk. She regularly visits Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of militarism. Takaichi has vowed toughness on immigration, a major issue in the race. Her staunch ultra-conservative stance is considered a major risk to Japan’s relations with Asian neighbors.

Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, is the son of a popular former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and seeks to be the youngest prime minister in Japan’s modern history. As agriculture minister for Ishiba, Koizumi released an emergency rice stockpile to lower prices and stabilize supply as he promoted a reformist stance. Koizumi has made rebuilding his party a priority and pledges to listen to the people’s voices closely to address their concerns, such as rising prices, growing foreign population and public safety.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, is the chief Cabinet secretary in Ishiba’s government. He is a moderate who promises steady wage increases, a strong economy and defense. He also advocates a universal credit system to provide assistance to low-income families for basic goods. Hayashi is a pragmatic, pro-China veteran with a reputation for being capable at damage control. He has also served as foreign, defense and education minister.

Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, has served in key posts including foreign and trade ministers and is known as a tough trade negotiator.

Takayuki Kobayashi, 50. The ultra-conservative former economic security minister promises strong growth, defense and national unity. He calls for tougher restrictions on foreigners.

The new LDP leader and prime minister will need help from either or both of the center-right opposition groups, the Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin, and the Democratic Party for the People, with which the LDP has collaborated on budget bills.

While it’s still uncertain, cooperation or even expanding the coalition might contribute to political stability.

Koizumi has approached Ishin and in August visited Osaka Expo, where he was escorted by party leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura. Hayashi reportedly met with a senior Ishin lawmaker over dinner recently, while Motegi announced his willingness to form a coalition with the two parties.

Takaichi said the LDP’s ongoing coalition with the Komeito is the foundation, but that she is open to cooperation with far-right groups such as the emerging anti-globalist Sanseito.