That the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 in the divisional round of the playoffs was not entirely surprising.
The surprising thing was that the Jaguars were in the playoffs at all. Just one year after Urban Meyer became the worst college-to-pro coach in pro football history, the Jags, now led by Coach of the Year candidate Doug Pederson, won the AFC South after everything Meyer did, and then managed to find the postseason after a 2-6 start in 2022. Then, Pederson’s team got this far by overcoming a 27-0 second-quarter deficit in the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Chargers. Their eventual 31-30 win was the third-largest postseason comeback the NFL has ever seen.
Thing is, the Jaguars had their chances, and they almost pulled off the upset at Arrowhead Stadium. There were just a few plays that got in the way. The Jaguars will have the entire offseason to consider the ramifications of these plays, but they should also consider what a remarkable comeback they had — and how well they’re set up for the 2023 season and beyond.
That said, here are the plays that turned the tide in the Chiefs’ favor.