In a week that provided so many comebacks and close games, why not add another one to the list on Monday night?

The Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars squared off in EverBank Stadium on Monday night to finish off Week 5 of the NFL season. Coming into the season, most people probably expected the Chiefs to run through the Jags, but that was not the case this time.

The Jags are playing like a brand new team in 2025, and they took it to the Chiefs for 60 minutes tonight. This game was close from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, and after a ton of ties and lead changes, the Jags drove 60 yards down the field in under two minutes and scored the game-winning touchdown to knock off the Chiefs and move to 4-1.

Here were my takeaways from Monday’s showdown.

Truly a game of inches

They always say football is a game of inches, and I’m not sure that’s ever been more true than tonight.

The Jaguars were down 7-0 early, but drove 59 yards down the field to the one-yard line. It was fourth down, and Liam Coen decided to roll the dice and go for it. Trevor Lawrence lined up under center and kept it, trying to dive over the line for a touchdown, but the ball was punched out, and the Chiefs recovered.

The play was reviewed for a while, but it was determined that Lawrence fumbled the ball short of the goal line. And when I say short of the goal line, I mean at the one-inch line. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player closer than this (and personally, I think it might’ve been a touchdown).

The Chiefs took over at the three-yard line and took just five plays to go 97 yards for a touchdown. The Jags got one back before the half, but instead of heading into the locker room tied at 14, they trailed 14-7.

Then, in the second half, the Chiefs drove down to the three-yard line. Patrick Mahomes tried to fit one into a tight window, but Devin Lloyd picked it off and returned it for 99 yards and a touchdown, flipping this game on its head and giving the Jags their first lead of the night.

Football really is a game of inches, and that was on full display tonight.

Liam Coen has transformed the Jags’ offense

The Jaguars were one of the worst rushing offenses last season. So much so that there was speculation they would trade Travis Etienne away, but it turns out it was just the scheme. Coen has the Jags inside the top five in rushing yards (685) and yards per carry (4.9) through the first five weeks, and tonight, they ran it 26 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns against a very stout Chiefs defense.

Instead of being a one-dimensional offense that has to rely on Trevor Lawrence’s arm, Coen has turned them into a balanced unit. While the stats might not show it yet, Lawrence has looked much more comfortable in Coen’s new offense than he did under the previous regime, and as the season progresses, I think we’ll see that more and more.

I love what Liam Coen is doing in Jacksonville. He’s such a great offensive mind, and it’s really fun to watch.

Rashee Rice is going to take the Chiefs’ offense to a new level

The Chiefs’ offense has been fine this season. They’re averaging a tad over 24 points and 325 yards per game, but when they finally get Rashee Rice back from suspension, it’s going to open so many things up for them.

A lot of people forget just how good Rice is. In three games last year, he caught 24 of his 29 targets for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of the top receivers in the league before he tore his ACL, and now he’s about to return from his six-game suspension.

With Rice on the field, it won’t just help Mahomes out. Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Hollywood Brown, and Travis Kelce will all benefit. He’s going to draw a ton of attention, which will free up the rest of the Chiefs’ receivers.

I expect Kansas City’s offense to take a big step forward once Rice is back, which is scary considering they’re already pretty dang good.

MASSIVE missed call

The NFL referees have been especially bad this week, but this might’ve been the worst call of them all.

After the Jags got a crucial stop and got the ball back up seven points early in the fourth quarter, Lawrence dropped back to pass, but was picked off by Trent McDuffie. But should it have counted? You be the judge.

Just moments after this clear and obvious pass interference, the Chiefs scored the game-tying touchdown with just over 10 minutes left in the game. The Jags had a chance to take a two-score lead, but instead, the refs handed the Chiefs seven points.

The Chiefs shot themselves in the foot

This was a very weird game for the Chiefs. Usually, they’re a buttoned-up team that doesn’t make many mistakes, but tonight, they were a bit sloppy.

The Chiefs were flagged 13 times for 109 yards on Monday night. I don’t know specifics, but that has to be the most penalties they’ve had in a single game in years. It felt like the Chiefs would take one step forward and two steps back at times, and their back-to-back timeouts at the end of the game killed any slim chance they had of sending the game to overtime.

On a night where the offense was moving the ball efficiently, it always felt like they kept making things harder than they needed to be.

I need more Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter is a freak of nature. There’s a reason he was drafted second overall as a cornerback/wide receiver. He has incredible ball skills as both a corner and receiver, and it allows him to make plays like this.

I’ll admit, I thought he should’ve been a full-time corner coming out of college, but I was wrong. He’s a special playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and if he were to specialize in being a receiver, he has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Unfortunately, I don’t know if he’s willing to do that.

Just give me more Travis Hunter. I don’t care which side of the ball he’s on. He’s just so fun to watch, so Liam Coen, if you’re reading this, please put him on the field more often. Sincerely, NFL fans across the nation.

WHAT. A. PLAY.

TREVOR LAWRENCE. WHAT. A. PLAY.

These two AFC juggernauts duked it out all night long, and after so many ups and downs, the Jags drove down the field and scored one of the wildest game-winning touchdowns you’ll ever see.

What a play from Trevor Lawrence, man. A great ending to a great week of football.

Brian Thomas Jr.’s redemption arc

Brian Thomas Jr. had a sensational rookie season, but hasn’t lived up to expectations this year, catching 12 passes for 164 yards and no touchdowns through the first four weeks. But he redeemed himself tonight.

Not only did he lead the team with 80 yards, but he came down with a massive catch on the Jags’ final drive to set them up in scoring position. It ultimately led to the Jags’ game-winning touchdown, and it just goes to prove that all it takes is one play to make up for a season of mistakes.

Early Week 6 Picks

Next week, the Chiefs host the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football in what should be another very entertaining showdown. The Lions are one of the hottest teams in the league, and no matter how down and out the Chiefs may seem, they’re always going to put up a fight. I’m still taking the Lions, but it should be close.

Lions 35, Chiefs 31

The Jags will stay at home and host the Seattle Seahawks, who are coming off a tough, 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, next weekend. Both of these offenses are capable of putting a lot of points on the board, so it should be another high-scoring affair, but I’ll take the Jags to keep rolling.

Jaguars 30, Seahawks 24