Andy Reid had high hopes for Chris Jones in his first game back with the Kansas City Chiefs after his holdout ended last week.
Jones exceeded those expectations in the Chiefs’ 17-9 victory against the Jaguars on Sunday.
“I felt confident that he would go in and do his thing, but maybe not to that level,” Reid said. ”He certainly had a beneficial impact on the game for us.”
Jones recorded five pressures, 1.5 sacks, and a pass breakup in his debut game of the season despite playing part-time. He played a number of defensive line positions and proved to be difficult to handle for the Jaguars no matter where he lined up.
His entire sack occurred late in the second quarter on fourth down, giving the Chiefs solid field position for their lone scoring drive of the half.
Jones’ half sack occurred on third down with the Jaguars within the Chiefs’ 20 in the fourth quarter. On fourth down, the Chiefs forced an incomplete throw, and the Jaguars never got the ball back.
“That’s why I’m here, especially when my number is called,” Jones said. “It’s just another game to me.” There’s no need to worry. Most importantly, I want to go out, have fun, enjoy my time back with these guys, and make sure we win the game, whatever that may be.”
Jones was involved in 31 of Jacksonville’s 64 offensive plays, ranking fourth among Chiefs defensive lineman.
The Chiefs got four sacks, including 1.5 from George Karlaftis, as their pass rush was more successful than in Week 1.
“He looked like the old 9-5 to me,” Travis Kelce said of Jones, referring to him by his jersey number.
Kelce made his season debut after missing the previous game due to a hyperextended knee. Kelce’s contribution to the game was not as significant as Jones’, but he still caught four receptions for 26 yards and a score from Patrick Mahomes.
“There was absolutely no doubt in my mind,” Kelce added. “I was flying around out there.” I wish I could have contributed more to my team’s success. Everything you saw out there was 100% what I could provide, and maybe we’ll become even better next week.”
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