3 Ways to Avoid Losing in Week 9

Our Kansas City Chiefs passed the halfway point of their schedule with a commanding victory last week, and the Vegas books expect another win for KC today. The Jacksonville Jaguars don't incite fear in many NFL locker rooms, so this week, the Chiefs' focus presumably rested less on how to win today's game, and more on how to simple not lose. KC just spent their week game-planning for a subpar opponent without their franchise QB or their two best running backs, but our Chiefs will once again have the advantage today at Arrowhead Stadium. A combination of KC's confidence and Jacksonville's ineptitude place’s the Chiefs’ focus less on winning today and more on letting their opponent lose.

The Jags beat the 1-5, Brian Hoyer-led Chicago Bears in a 17-16 Week 6 stinker. They also managed to beat the Indianapolis Colts by 3 points in Week 4. That is the unabridged list of victories claimed by Jacksonville this season. A disappointing loss lurks somewhere in Kansas City’s soft schedule. It's inevitable, but I don't think it's happening today. Here are three ways KC can avoid losing to the Jags:

1. Spread the ball around - Only seven NFL teams hold their opponent to fewer passing yards per game than Jacksonville. Despite that, only six NFL teams give up more points per game. We can expect conservatism from the Chiefs, but that won't necessarily translate to constantly running the ball. Without Spencer Ware or Jamaal Charles, KC will often defer to short passes and screens today. Successfully spreading the ball around to the healthy, trustworthy options will be what gives the Chiefs enough points to advance to Week 10 with another win. If Travis Kelce, Jeremy Maclin, Tyreek Hill and Chris Conley all finish the day with at least two catches, KC will have done enough offensively to once again avoid losing to an inferior team.

2. Put pressure on Blake Bortles - KC's +9 turnover ratio is second only to Minnesota's +11. Jacksonville ties with the Jets, who allowed 8 turnovers to KC in Week 3, for the league's worst ratio at -8. Only two QBs in the NFL have more interceptions than Bortles' 9, and he's been sacked 17 times through seven games. D.J. White is KC's only injured piece on defense, so the Chiefs should have fun attacking Bortles. If the emerging pass-rush for KC can raise their team average of 5.4 QB hurries per game, they'll limit Jacksonville's offense enough to ensure victory today.

3. Avoid disaster - The safest bet of the day may be for KC to improve that aforementioned turnover ratio, but it isn't necessary for a Chiefs win. The Jags defense will surely be on the lookout for moments to make a game-changing play, and they need more than just one to give themselves a chance to win. The Chiefs' only two losses came in the only two games when they turned the ball over twice or more. If the Jags can't force two or more turnovers today, you guessed it, Chiefs win, and we're on to Carolina with a kinda-sorta-tie for first place in the AFC West.

Doug LaCerte tries to use Twitter @DLaC67, and he's still on Facebook.