The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the win column to begin the preseason, taking down the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, 26-13.
Both teams decided to play their starters to begin this game. The Chiefs put Patrick Mahomes and the first-team offense out there for a single series and largely looked like the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champions. They brought the ball just outside the red zone on the opening drive to set up a Harrison Butker field goal. Meanwhile, the Jaguars kept Trevor Lawrence and the top offense out there for the first two series. The first was sparked by a 74-yard kickoff return by Patrick Washington, which began a touchdown drive culminated by a Lawrence pass to Travis Etienne.
Once the starters concluded their business for the night, Chiefs undrafted rookie running back Carson Steele stole the show. First, he had a bruising 20-yard rush where he broke a handful of tackles. Then, he scored a goal-line touchdown just before halftime. It wasn't all rosy for Kansas City in the first half, however, as its struggles with the new kickoff rule resulted in a self-imposed safety from Mecole Hardman. As for which rookies stood out for the Jaguars in the first half, Brian Thomas Jr. -- a first-round pick out of LSU -- hauled in a tremendous 41-yard reception to move the chains on third down.
As one may expect in a preseason exhibition, the second half was a bit more muted than what we saw in the first. Former Patriots first-rounder Mac Jones led the Jaguars on a field goal drive to get the scoring started and finished his night completing 9 of his 11 pass attempts for 98 yards. On the K.C. side, the offense led by quarterback Chris Oladokun and Ian Book managed three points over the final two quarters.
Below, you can find out takeaways from Saturday's contest, including our rookie report and top play.
Rookie report
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.: Jacksonville used its first-round pick to heighten the ceiling of its receiver room, and it appears it did just that. In the first half, Brian Thomas Jr. flashed his big-play potential by hauling in a 41-yard reception from C.J. Beathard to move the chains on third-and-1. That catch helped set up a Jaguars field goal.
That was Thomas' lone catch of the night on two targets.
Chiefs RB Carson Steele: Kansas City signed Steele as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA and he is quickly pushing for a roster spot. In the opener, Steele initially endeared himself with a 20-yard run where he broke several tackles as he churned upfield.
Later in the drive, Steele was given the ball on the goal line and barreled in for the touchdown to knot the game at 10. Steele carried the ball four times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Not too shabby for your first taste of NFL action.
Chiefs TE Jared Wiley: The 2024 fourth-round pick saw some action in the first half and was able to bring in both of his targets. However, the TCU product did fumble after one of those receptions and nearly caused a turnover. Putting the ball on the ground -- even if he didn't give the ball to the opposition -- isn't the greatest first impression.
Other standouts
Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby: The second-year running back saw limited work in the first half, but from what we saw he continues to be a force out of the backfield. Bigsby ran hard on each of his three carries, including a 19-yard gain. He finished the night with 28 yards on the ground.
Jaguars WR Devin Duvernay: Duvernay made his mark on special teams during his tenure for the Ravens, but also seemed to be a timely outlet in the passing game. That showed in his debut with the Jaguars, catching a 35-yard touchdown right before halftime.
The 26-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Jaguars in free agency and could prove to be a sneaky strong addition once the regular season rolls around.
Chiefs WR Justyn Ross: It feels like every year folks are waiting for Justyn Ross to leap onto the map. The Clemson product oozes talent, but injuries and off-the-field issues have drastically stalled his career. What may keep the Chiefs interested in Ross, however, is plays like he made Saturday, hauling in a toe-tapping reception in the second half.
Chiefs special teams struggles
While you can take most of what happens in a preseason game with a grain of salt, Kansas City's issues on special teams -- specifically revolving around the new kickoff rule -- are some cause for concern. Out of the gate, they allowed a 74-yard kickoff return by Parker Washington (more on that below), which kicked off their struggles.
On their second kickoff return of the night, a 31-yard gain was called back 10 yards due to an offensive holding penalty. The most egregious moment, however, came just before halftime. After the ball bounced out of the end zone and onto the one-yard line, Mecole Hardman went back into the end zone and downed the ball which resulted in a safety.
This is something Andy Reid and special teams coordinator David Toub will need to tighten before the regular season.
Best play
The first major kickoff return that we've seen came in this exhibition thanks to Parker Washington, who was one of the most electric players on the field in this game. The 2023 sixth-round pick took a kickoff following an opening drive field goal by the Chiefs 74 yards down the field. That return put Jacksonville instantly in the red zone, and it took just four plays for Trevor Lawrence to find Travis Etienne for a nine-yard passing touchdown. On top of that return, Washington also caught a pass for 10 yards and returned a punt for 13 yards.
What's next
From here, the Jaguars will remain in Jacksonville and await the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who come to town for Week 2 of the preseason next Saturday. As for the Chiefs, they'll head to Arrowhead Stadium for their first exhibition in K.C. this summer as they take on the Detroit Lions.
