The Jacksonville Jaguars are back at EverBank Stadium for a Monday Night matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.
The Jaguars will enter this game at 3-1 and the Chiefs at 2-2, with both teams having won back-to-back games.
As Monday night’s game takes place, here are the three big storylines to monitor as things unfold.
Will Jaguars DE Travon Walker play vs. the Chiefs?
Walker would sustain the wrist injury in the Jaguars’ Week 4 game with San Francisco and had a procedure early this past week.
After not practicing on Thursday or Friday, Walker would return to the field on Saturday in a limited capacity and with a big cast/club on his left hand.
Walker is officially listed as questionable.
“I trust that if he says he can go then we’ll go,” Coen said.
Through three games, Walker had recorded 13 pressures and two sacks, according to PFF, along with being stout against the run. Having him on the field Monday would certainly be a big boost.
Can the Jaguars get that statement win?
At 3-1 and coming off a road win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Jaguars have begun to gain more attention nationally. But the James Gladstone-Liam Coen regime can really make a grand entrance onto the national stage with their performance against the Chiefs.
On Monday Night, this will be the only game on television, so all eyes will be on Jacksonville. Then defeating the perennial Super Bowl-contending Chiefs on that stage would be a statement-type of win for this new-look Jaguars team.
Regardless of the outcome, this is a measuring stick game for the Jaguars to see how far they have come.
While the defense is playing at a high level and the offense has shown the ability to move the ball in stretches, the biggest thing for the Jaguars is limiting the self-inflicted errors that have occurred regularly this season, such as penalties and dropped passes.
The bright lights of a national game are nothing new for the Chiefs. Too many miscues by the Jaguars against this opponent could very easily determine the outcome of the game.
Can the defense contain Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense?
Sparked by their ability to create takeaway after takeaway, the Jaguars’ defense has been operating at a high level this season, allowing only 18 points per game, the fifth fewest in football.
But a different kind of challenge awaits this week against Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense. This unit looked very different last week with Xavier Worthy–who is now questionable for this game–and his speed back in the lineup as they dropped 37 points on Baltimore.
Against an experienced quarterback like Mahomes, any potential success for the Jaguars’ defense hinges on being fundamentally sound throughout the game, as any breakdown could be an opportunity for the Chiefs’ offense to capitalize.
There is no magic solution when it comes to containing Mahomes and this offense, but it starts with stout play against the run to put the Chiefs behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations. Rallying to the ball carrier to limit YAC opportunities will be important as well.
The Jaguars have feasted on takeaways up to this point, but the Chiefs’ offense is one that doesn’t give the ball away. If that remains the case this week, can Jacksonville find other ways to limit their opponent?
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars vs. Chiefs: 3 big storylines to watch on Monday night