Chiefs vs Jaguars Divisional Round; Five things I'm watching for

Examining five matchups that could decide how Saturday's game plays out.

Hey, look, it’s the playoffs!

Following a bye week that felt like an eternity, the Chiefs will take the field at Arrowhead against the Jaguars for the second time this season. Of course, this time, both teams are playing for the right to advance to the AFC Championship rather than slogging through Week 10 of the regular season.

With the Chiefs’ season on the line (hopefully not for the last time this year), I’ve re-watched that Week 10 matchup, as well as a bit of the Jaguars’ more recent performances. Let’s talk about a few of the things I’ll be watching for Saturday that I think will play a key role in how the game turns out (of course, if you want to look at the “playoff x-factor” series, you can find Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 by clicking on the links attached).

The matchup between the Chiefs and the Jags was long enough ago (with multiple tweaks to both scheme and personnel on both sides) that it would be a mistake to take too much away from that game. However, there are at least a few issues that I think connect with how both teams play consistently that we can grab a few takeaways and things to watch for, from how Steve Spagnuolo will try to fool Lawrence and the Jaguars OL to how the Chiefs will try to deal with man coverage.

Let’s talk about some things to watch for. The playoffs are upon us!