JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Kansas City defense didn’t allow Blaine Gabbert and the Jacksonville offense to cross into Chiefs’ territory until the fourth quarter as they kept the Jaguars out of the end zone in a 28-2 victory on Sunday. The defense also sacked Gabbert six times and picked him off twice, Tamba Hali took the latter into the end zone for the game’s final score.
Alex Smith was sharp in his debut for the Chiefs distributing completions to nine different receivers. He finished the day 21/34 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He put the Chiefs on the board when he found Donnie Avery for a five-yard TD pass in the first quarter. Later in the quarter he hit Junior Hemingway in the back of the end zone with a nice throw to extend the lead to 14-2.
Jamaal Charles looked good as well and an apparent quad injury he suffered is reported to be minor. He carried the ball 16 times for 77 yards and one touchdown.
For as good as the offense was, the day really belonged to the defense, highlighted by performances from Dontari Poe and Justin Houston. Houston recorded three sacks and Poe had 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection and six tackles. Poe seemed to play a role on every down in the first quarter, which set the tone for the rest of the game. The unit collectively held Jacksonville 178 yards, which is actually a deceiving considering the Jaguars traveled 77 yards on its final possession.
The only real error Kansas City had to work through was a special teams lapse in the first quarter when Jacksonville blocked a punt that resulted in a safety and the Jaguars’ only points. After a successful beginning to the Andy Reid era the Chiefs welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday for a noon kickoff. That game can be seen on FOX 4.
