Jaguars vs Chiefs: Players to watch

Christian Kirk and Devin Lloyd must live up to high expectations in the Divisional Round at Kansas City.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed west to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL divisional round playoffs. In a Week 10 rematch between these teams, the Jaguars are 8.5-point underdogs according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

These are the players I’ll be watching most on either side of the ball.

WR Christian Kirk

Trevor Lawrence had an incredible second half against the Chargers, and Walker Little has played excellent against tough opponents at left tackle in place of injured starter Cam Robinson (knee).

However, my vote for the MVP of Jacksonville’s back-to-back primetime games is Christian Kirk. The 72-million-dollar man has earned every penny of his infamous free agent contract with the Jaguars, as he’s shown up with some incredibly clutch plays and 177 receiving yards over the past two weeks.

Kirk has been Lawrence’s go-to weapon against man coverage, which will show up this week against the Chiefs man-heavy defense. He’ll be facing off against cornerback Trent McDuffie in the slot, who has had an excellent debut season. Kirk needs to teach the rook a lesson or four this week for Jacksonville’s offense to keep scoring like it did late last Saturday night.

LB Devin Lloyd

Back when the Chiefs hosted the Jaguars in Week 10, the main character of Jacksonville’s defense was rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd. Kansas City had a target on 33’s back the entire game.

Lloyd was benched for fellow rookie Chad Muma halfway through the Week 10 game, but the former has started each of the past six games for Jacksonville. Lloyd, who the team traded up to draft 27th overall in April, needs to play much better in this second matchup.

According to Football Outsiders, Jacksonville ranked dead last in DVOA on pass to tight ends as well as passes targeting the short middle of the field. Kansas City, meanwhile, boasts arguably the greatest tight end, quarterback, and offensive mind of their respective generations. Good luck, Devin!

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.