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Five things to watch as the Chiefs host the Jaguars The last time the Kansas City Chiefs played the Jacksonville Jaguars — just the season before last — the Jaguars were 2-6 Infant Rashad Fenton Jersey , and the Chiefs were 6-2.The Chiefs had an average offense and a stout defense.The Jaguars had a below-average offense and defense.Things have changed quite a bit since then.Here are five things to keep an eye on during the game:1. To blitz, or not to blitz?David Butler II-USA TODAY SportsOn Monday, the Denver Broncos blitzed Patrick Mahomes quite a bit, hoping to shake him up and render him ineffective.According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, the Broncos were running some blitz packages the Chiefs had not seen on film.It worked for a while — that is, until the Chiefs had time to figure out what the Broncos were doing, and Mahomes got himself settled down.Could this be a formula the Jaguars might attempt?It’s possible.The Jaguars don’t tend to blitz a lot, so they could see this as a way to catch the Chiefs off-guard and rattle Mahomes the same way the Broncos did.But if we believe what the Chiefs constantly say — that Mahomes is a super-quick study and doesn’t tend to make the same mistakes twice — whether or not it would work is open to question.Either way, one battle to watch will be between Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. — their best pass rusher — and Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.2. To Tyreek, or not to Tyreek?Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY SportsNow that Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey — like San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin before him — has decided to make Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill an object of trash talk this week, you have to wonder if the Chiefs will take advantage of this situation.It would be pretty tempting for chess-master Andy Reid to simply use Tyreek Hill as a decoy to keep Ramsey — easily the best cornerback the Jaguars have — out of the picture, which would provide openings for other Chiefs receivers.It’s not as if the Chiefs don’t have some other ones that are pretty good, too.On the other hand... Ramsey isn’t quite all that, either.And Ramsey is clearly under-informed about Hill’s ability as a wide receiver.We could easily see Reid decide to just let them settle this matter between themselves.if you don’t see Hill getting a lot of targets early in the game, Reid has probably decided to make his chess move.But if that happens, you should still expect Hill to get a big catch late in the game.After all... it’s no fun to use Hill as a decoy if you can’t spring him as a surprise later.3. To tackle, or not to tackle?Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY SportsYou don’t need me to tell you the Chiefs need to improve their tackling.We’ve all been talking about it all week.Especially against Denver on Monday night, the Chiefs defense seemed to be unable to get anybody wrapped up and on the ground.Do they need to get this cleaned up?Absolutely.It would go a long way towards improving the Chiefs run defense.But we should remember that it’s pretty easy to lose sight of the fact that the other team gets paid to play, too.Players like Royce Freeman of the Broncos, Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers and James Conner of the Pittsburgh Steelers tend to break a lot of tackles when they’re playing teams besides the Chiefs, too.Here you might be tempted to point out that since Leonard Fournette has been ruled out of Sunday’s game Rashad Fenton Jersey nfl draft , we might not see as much of this problem against the Jaguars.But don’t kid yourself:T.J. Yeldon is no slouch.The Chiefs need to pay attention to that guy.And wrap him up.4. Can Eric Murray continue to improve?Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThis season hasn’t played out quite like we expected.Back in June, the Nerd Squad’s Matt Lane wrote that Eric Murray could be a player to watch at safety this season. But back in June, we all thought he’d be trying to take a spot alongside the All-World Eric Berry, instead of Ron Parker — a player the Chiefs released after last season.Still, slowly but steadily, Murray has begun finding his way — and against the Broncos, had his best game of the season, with five tackles and an athletic interception.If he can continue to improve, it’s possible that he could keep the job when — and if — Berry returns to the field.Let’s keep an eye on this young man.5. How will the weather affect this game?Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesAt this writing on Friday morning, forecasters expect rain at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon — not just rain, but thunderstorms.And there’s likely to be a lot of rain in Kansas City before Sunday even arrives, making the condition of Arrowhead’s natural-grass surface even more of a concern.How will this affect the passing game on which the Chiefs have depended thus far this season? How will it affect the size and enthusiasm of the home crowd, on which the Chiefs defense so often depends?Much will depend on the amount of rainfall — and right now, it’s looking like there will be a lot. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Marvin Lewis flipped on tape of the Kansas City Chiefs this week and saw Tyreek Hill moving all over the field, Kareem Hunt bulldozing for first downs, Travis Kelce making acrobatic catches and Patrick Mahomes delivering the ball to all of them.Then he was asked what worries him most about facing the Chiefs on Sunday night.“Everything,” Lewis said, adding a halfhearted laugh.Yes, the banged-up Bengals (4-2) and their struggling defense are headed to Arrowhead Stadium for a high-profile showdown against quite possibly the most dynamic offense in the NFL.They are also doing it with a handful of guys ailing or injured, notably in a secondary that will have to find a way to slow Hill and Kelce. All those injuries nearly crippled the Bengals last week Rashad Fenton Jersey Womens , when Pittsburgh drove the length of the field in the fourth quarter for the winning touchdown.“It makes it harder, yeah,” Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap said, “but we have 1A and 1B. Everybody is trained to get in the game because you’re always one play away. You never know when it is.”Injuries aren’t an excuse, either.“‘We’ve got guys down. I believe in those (backup) guys,” Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said. “I feel we’ve got all the tools, even the backup guys, to beat this team.”The Chiefs (5-1), who are coming off their first loss last Sunday night in New England, know all about being hurt. They remain without injured safeties Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen and Armani Watts, top pass rusher Justin Houston and two starters on the offensive line.They still have Mahomes, though. Not to mention all his weapons.That group struggled in the first half against the Patriots, but adjustments at halftime opened up things. Mahomes wound up throwing four TD passes, three to Hill, and the Chiefs nearly outscored Tom Brady and Co. in what became an entertaining shootout.“Everyone is still in great spirits,” Mahomes said after his first loss as a starting quarterback, which came seven games into his NFL career. “We know there’s a lot of season left. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you have to know that’s going to happen. It’s how you respond that matters.”Mahomes said the vibe all week has been positive, and that the loss to New England only served to embolden a team with Super Bowl aspirations. After all, the Chiefs trailed most of the way Rashad Fenton Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , on the road and in prime time, and nearly came back to steal a victory.“We finished hard. We fought every play,” Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins said. “You saw the grit on the sideline, and we’re here to build on that. You’re not going to lead every game 28-0.”BANGED-UP BENGALSThere were no fewer than 15 players listed on Cincinnati’s initial injury report this week, and six of those didn’t participate at all to start the week. That included three defensive players in cornerback Darqueze Dennard, linebacker Nick Vigil and safety Shawn Williams.FLEX AND POSEThe Chiefs’ high-flying offense and the Bengals’ strong start resulted in the game being flexed by NBC to Sunday night. It was originally supposed to be a noon CDT kickoff.“Every game is a big stage. This is the NFL,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said, dismissing the fact they’re in prime time for the second straight week. “You want to play every game like it’s your last.”ON THE HUNTThe Chiefs have leaned on Hunt late in games to protect leads, but he was a big part of their comeback a week ago. Hunt ran for 80 yards on just 10 carries and caught five passes for 105 yards and a score. He also was overthrown down the middle of the field on what could have been another long TD reception.“You can’t miss those when you play really good teams,” Mahomes said.BLITZBURGH HANGOVERThe Bengals’ 28-21 loss to Pittsburgh wiped out much of their early momentum and evened things in the AFC North. It was another stunning loss against their biggest nemesis — the Steelers have won seven straight in the series, including a comeback win in the 2015 playoffs. They know they can’t afford another bad showing in Kansas City as they approach the midway point of the season.“I would say we do have a chip on our shoulders,” defensive end Jordan Willis said.WHAT ABOUT BURFICTIn his second game back from his latest NFL suspension, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was on the field for 84 percent of the defense’s plays against Pittsburgh and finished second with eight tackles and two passes deflected. He also was in the middle of several altercations, trading words with Ben Roethlisberger, stepping over James Conner in the end zone and hitting Antonio Brown in the head with his forearm after a reception.Burfict has been suspended three times by the league and was ejected from a game last season. The Bengals need him to continue making an impact on games, without the drama.“Vontaze can be as great as he wants to be,” Dunlap said.100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta