Fighting Fire With Fire: Here’s Monday’s Most Exciting Matchup

The Jacksonville running back ranks third in the league with 394 rushing yards, trailing Jonathan Taylor (414) and James Cook (401). More alarming for the Chiefs, Etienne is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, second in the league among qualifying players behind Justin Fields (7.4) and first among running backs.

He also has two 100-yard rushing games over the season’s first four weeks, the only NFL player with multiple games of at least 120 rushing yards this year, and has touchdowns in three straight games.

Monday's test

But on Monday, Liam Coen’s Jacksonville offense is expected to see its stiffest test so far: Steve Spagnuolo.

The Chiefs’ defensive coordinator hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 23 straight games, since Lamar Jackson had 122 in Week 1 of the ’24 season. A running back hasn’t hit triple digits against the Chiefs in 30 consecutive games, including playoffs. The last to do it was the Raiders’ Zamir White (145) on Christmas Day in 2023, a 20-14 home loss to Las Vegas.

Kansas City’s defensive streak includes Super Bowl 58 (Christian McCaffrey) as well as two games each against Cook, Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.

Coming out of his shoes

So far this season, the Chiefs are allowing 127.0 yards per game on the ground. That’s 22nd in the league through four games. But take away the late 71-yard touchdown Kansas City allowed to Justice Hill on Sunday, and Spagnuolo would be allowing only 109.3 yards per game.

Also, the Chiefs were solid defensively in between that run and Baltimore’s game-opening 70-yard touchdown drive.

“He had a great plan,” head coach Andy Reid said after Sunday’s 37-20 win. “You take that first drive out and then that last run, he had a good day. He got so mad after that last run; he about jumped out of his shoes. Then as coaches, too, I don’t want to slight the other guys, either, but they’ve all done a nice job there, defensively.”

Lethal combination

They’ll need to do a nice job again on Monday night. Jacksonville has won three of its first four games for only the second time over the last 15 years. And the Jaguars have done it with a lethal combination of takeaways and rushing offense.

Jacksonville ranks fourth in the league with a 144.0-yard average-per-game rushing attack. In addition to Etienne, the team also brandishes a tough-to-tackle rookie in Bhayshul Tuten, who has touchdowns in two of his last three games.

Last matchup with Coen

Spagnuolo is familiar with Coen’s offense, having faced him last season when Coen was Tampa Bay offensive coordinator. The Buccaneers visited Kansas City in a Week 9 Monday night thriller.

The Chiefs escaped with a 30-24 overtime victory, but not before Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay on a 10-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to tie the game in the final minute. The Buccaneers’ quarterback threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

But even in that game, Spagnuolo’s defense didn’t give up a big game to any individual rusher. Bucky Irving was Tampa Bay’s leader on the ground with 24 yards on seven carries. Rachaad White had just 19 yards on three carries.

Coen’s Tampa Bay offense was the only NFL unit last year to finish among the league’s top-five in both rushing and passing yards per game.