JACKSONVILLE – The game is the thing, and make no mistake:
When the Jaguars play host to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, it will be a very important game.
This is the fun stuff, and the reason it’s fun is the resurgent and very, very improved Jaguars will be playing one of the NFL’s glamour teams – and its most consistent franchise in the last decade – in a game that matters very much for both teams.
More than hype, more than pre-game buildup, what matters for the Jaguars is the game itself and what it means for this season.
“It’s just the next opportunity,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “It’s the next game.”
For the Jaguars, it’s a chance at a third consecutive victory – and to either remain tied with the Indianapolis Colts or take sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
“Just a great opportunity,” Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen called it. “We have done so many good things. It is truly about us getting better, improving, taking the next step in all three phases and just go trust it and play.”
For the Chiefs, it’s also a chance at a third consecutive victory – and a chance to continue solidifying themselves for a run to what would be an 11th consecutive postseason appearance.
It’s a game between two AFC contenders, with the Chiefs very accustomed to that status and the Jaguars rejoining that status after a lost season in 2024.
This is really cool early October football, a prime-time – and nationally-televised – game. That means it’s a chance for the Jaguars to show the NFL world what those who have been paying attention already know: That this is a new era for this franchise.