Monday Night Football heads to EverBank Stadium as the Jacksonville Jaguars get set to welcome the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are three key battles to keep an eye on:
Devin Lloyd vs Patrick Mahomes
What a start to the season Devin Lloyd is enjoying! The fourth-year linebacker appears to have finally been unlocked in Anthony Campanile’s defense, starring in the Jags’ four games this season. This has been recognised by Lloyd being named AFC Defensive Player of the Month,
an award that hasn’t been bestowed on a Jaguar for almost twenty years. Robust against the run with 23 tackles so far, Lloyd has been an absolute menace when dropping back into coverage – racking up three interceptions and another three pass breakups. The former Utah Ute has made plays in every aspect of the game, including getting after the quarterback against the Bengals and recovering a fumble against the Houston Texans. This defense is thriving, and Lloyd is a big reason for it.
It’s not often I matchup a quarterback with a linebacker, but such is Lloyds’ prowess against the pass he’s made himself someone for Patrick Mahomes to acknowledge. The Chiefs may have begun 2025 a little sluggish, but they really ramped things up against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. There’s still some question marks about their run game which subtly allows them the explosive offense we all know and fear; that means Mahomes will likely be slinging it again. With his favorite target Travis Kelce usually operating in linebacker territory, another big performance from Lloyd could turn this game in the Jags’ favor.
Anton Harrison vs George Karlaftis
Now a month of the season has already been and gone, it’s time to ask the question we’re all scared to suggest; is the Jaguars’ offensive line ACTUALLY good? Without tempting fate, all the answers point to yes; The run game is thriving right now, Trevor Lawrence is on track for the lowest number of sacks in his career, and the linemen are grading out amongst the best in the league. The San Francisco 49ers failed to record a QB hit on Sunday for the first time in a decade. The o-line sits first in sack percentage (2.0%), second in pressure percentage (21.7%), and fourth in yards before contact (1.98). And one of the key performers is right tackle Anton Harrison, who according to PFF is fifth in the NFL in pass-block efficiency.
As good as Harrison has been, he’s up against it on Monday night. George Karlaftis often sits in the shadow of fellow defensive lineman Chris Jones, but he’s as much of an animal – and often benefits from flying under the radar. Already with three sacks in his first four games, Karlaftis has hit the opposing quarterback nine times in the last two games alone. His 23 pressures has him tied for 3rd most in the league in 2025, and Harrison will need to be on his game to help keep Lawrence clean and effective.
Parker Washington vs Chiefs Kickoff/Punt Coverage
Okay, indulge me a little here. If it seems I’m trying to shoehorn Parker Washington into my weekly article, that’s because I am – did you not SEE that 87-yard punt return on Sunday? In a period of the game where it looked a little uncomfortable and the 49ers were playing their way back in, Washington stepped up and produced some magic to swing the momentum back to Jacksonville. And most impressively was the burst he showed as he came through the wash – I already thought he was at top speed! Washington has history as a punt returner, taking a 96-yarder to the house last year against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. In big games special teams can be the difference, and this guy has proved himself to be a difference maker.
He’ll be up against one of the best coverage units in the NFL on Monday night. Dave Toub enters his thirteenth season as the Chiefs’ Special Teams Coach, an incredible achievement in itself. During that time they’ve established themselves at or near the top of the league in every statistic you can think of, and are ultra organized – the ‘Mayday’ field goal against the Chargers in Week 1 being the perfect case in point. Currently 3rd with a PFF grade of 85.5, this special teams unit offers Washington a step up in challenge if he wants to deliver another pivotal play in Week 5.
