Chiefs 27, Jaguars 17: 5 Observations on Christian Kirk, Trevor Lawrence and More

Trevor Lawrence took a step forward, Christian Kirk looks the part, and more from Jacksonville's Week 10 loss.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't surp[rise anyone by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, but their 27-17 road defeat did come in several peculiar ways. 

For example, if someone said on Friday the Jaguars would be +3 in turnovers and Trevor Lawrence would throw two touchdowns and no interceptions, they probably think the Jaguars have a fighting shot. That is exactly what took place on Sunday, but it didn't matter as several critical mistakes kept the Jaguars from capitalizing on a strong performance at quarterback. 

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' loss and their season at 3-7? We break it down below. 

Trevor Lawrence finally stacked two solid performances together 

If there is one thing a Jaguars coach said about Trevor Lawrence this week that stood out, it was when Press Taylor said on Thursday that the next step for Lawrence is to be consistent and less up-and-down. Find a way to play winning ball more often than not instead of flashing one week and struggling the next, or throwing well in one half and then throwing the game away in the second. With Lawrence having a strong performance in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Week 10 provided a chance to see if Lawrence could find that consistency. 

Lawrence answered the challenge in a big, big way. He completed over 70% of his passes against the Chiefs and would have had another 50+ yards and an extra touchdown were it not for drops and penalties on the Jaguars' receivers or offensive line. He had his sixth-ever start with a passer rating of 100 or more, and it was just the second time in his career he has had back-to-back games with a passer rating that high. Lawrence looked the part and finally became a bit more consistent on Sunday, entering the bye week on a high individual note.

Christian Kirk continues to impress, which shows how dangerous he can be once Calvin Ridley is added to the offense

Sunday didn't start off in a great way for Christian Kirk, with the veteran receiver dropping a deep pass from Trevor Lawrence that would have gained nearly 30 yards and put the Jaguars at the Chiefs' 10-yard line. But Kirk did have a resilient performance in a big way, bouncing back from the early drop to catch nine of his next 11 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns, making good on the investment the Jaguars placed on him in March.

Kirk has frequently impressed this year, showing he is by far the best receiver on the roster and a dangerous weapon projecting forward. His seven touchdowns through 10 games have been a result of consistent execution and his talents offering the Jaguars plenty of ways to use him in their scheme. But that doesn't mean he can't be even better. He should be expected to improve in 2023, which says something considering he has already had a strong year.

In short, the Jaguars don't have another receiver who consistently draws single coverage. The middle of the field, which is where Kirk thrives, is often crowded because the Jaguars don't have an explosive element to their passing game otherwise. But with Calvin Ridley set to join the offense next year, the Jaguars could see Kirk be even better when he is facing even fewer No. 1 cornerbacks and even fewer focused game-plans.

Lack of consistent pass-rush from Jaguars' front continues to be the most mystifying aspect of this year's defense

Through 10 weeks, the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense has been mostly average. They have had good games, bad ones, and just OK ones. Sunday was a bad one, but that could be expected when you have Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Chiefs' offensive juggernaut on the schedule. What shouldn't be expected, though, is for the Jaguars' pass-rush to have practically zero impact on the game. Not after the resources the Jaguars have poured into it and not after the issues the Chiefs' tackles have had this year.

The Jaguars didn't sack Patrick Mahomes once on Sunday and now have just 16 sacks through 10 games -- hardly the output imagines when the defensive line dominated the preseason. And while Mahomes is a hard quarterback to bring down, it is worth noting the Jaguars hit him just four times all game, with no defender recording multiple quarterback hits. The Jaguars have spent cash and high picks on the defensive line for years, but it still hasn't turned into sacks. 

Doug Pederson had an oddly conservative game 

Doug Pederson is often one of the first names people think of when it comes to aggressive coaching. This is justified, too. He rolled the dice on a ton of fourth-downs with the Eagles and has done the same with the Jaguars this year. Pederson then stayed true to his reputation to start the game, going with an onside kick on the very first play.

But after the onside kick that showed the Jaguars knew they were a big underdog and needed to steal as many possessions as possible, Pederson seemingly went into a shell with some of his decisions. He punted in Chiefs territory on several short fourth-downs and even passed up a fourth-and-inches in the Jaguars' own territory in the first-half. Pederson had several instances on Sunday where going for it would have been vindicated, but Pederson instead tried to play the field position game. It backfired, though, as one would expect against Patrick Mahomes. It was an odd game from Pederson. 

Riley Patterson's goodwill has evaporated 

Weeks 2 through 8 were great for Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson, who didn't miss a single field goal after a Week 1 miss. But ever since Patterson dinged the uprights late in the game against the Raiders in Week 9, Patterson has stepped backward in a big way. After previously being reliable, he missed two field goal attempts on Sunday, including one right before half-time that would have given the Jaguars a ton of momentum entering half time.

Patterson played well during the first half of the season, but his struggles over the last two weeks have made it hard to take what he did in October into much account. Patterson singlehandedly kept Sunday from being a one-score game, the first such loss for the Jaguars this year. When your kicker is having that kind of negative impact, it is hard to have confidence moving forward.