It was only a matter of time before the Jacksonville Jaguars made a coaching change. The only thing is that the coach whose head was served up wasn’t Gus Bradley’s. The scapegoat for the mess the Jags’ season has become was offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who was fired two days after Bradley said he wouldn’t be making any changes to his staff. So much for job security. New OC Nathaniel Hackett will get a chance to prove he can turn the offense around when the Jags take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 9 game is set for Sunday, November 6, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Arrowhead Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jacksonville Jaguars +9
Kansas City Chiefs -9
Over/Under 46
Odds Analysis
The Chiefs are undecided on a quarterback but that didn’t stop oddsmakers from making them an 8.5-point favorite. Kansas City has gotten over 62 percent of the wagers which pushed the line up to -9. That’s too high for my liking, especially with the Jags making a change that usually affects the club. With the total opening at 45.5, the over has gotten plenty of play, forcing a half point spike.
Injury Report
Alex Smith – The Chiefs removed Smith from Sunday’s game twice after taking blows to the head and tested their quarterback for concussion symptoms. Smith was wobbly after the second hit and didn’t return. The Chiefs later said Smith was not concussed, but were going to be cautious with him moving forward. Nick Foles took his first snaps of the year in relief tossing a pair of touchdown passes.
Spencer Ware – The loss of Ware to a possible concussion further impacts the Chiefs offense. Ware had emerged as the workhorse back and was putting together his finest season until leaving Sunday’s game. Charcandrick West will see an increased workload and the Chiefs may even turn to Jamaal Charles for more snaps out of the backfield.
Coaching Angle
The Jags needed a shakeup, I don’t think anyone can argue with that. But did they fire the right coach? For some reason Bradley still has a job, even though the team has regressed this year. The Jags went for it in the offseason, making a splash in the free agent market and hauling in a pretty good draft. But the results have been the same and with the increased expectations, downright disappointing.
There is a precedent in firing the offensive coordinator. The Jags can look back to last season’s Detroit Lions when Jim Bob Cooter was elevated midway through the year. The offense, and particularly Matthew Stafford, seemed to benefit from the change. It also happened earlier this season when the Bills axed Greg Roman after a 0-2 start and proceeded to win the next four under Anthony Lynn. But there are times when the move backfires. The Ravens fired Marc Trestman and have gone 0-2 with Marty Mornhinwheg calling the shots. A change had to be made and if Bradley wasn’t going, shaking up the slumbering offense was the next move.
Free ATS Pick
The Jags are hoping the change at OC sparks something in Blake Bortles, who’s been not very good this season. A look at the numbers might suggest otherwise; he has completed 60 percent of his throws for over 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns. But a lot of that work has been done when the Jags are playing catch up. Seven of his scoring passes have come with the Jags down by 10 or more points. When the game is hanging in the balance, Bortles does a phenomenal job of making sure they don’t have a chance.
The Chiefs can’t overlook the Jags and there’s a chance they are without Smith and Ware in the backfield. But K.C. has depth back there and Foles is ready to play. He carved up the Colts in his first action of the season and has been the consummate pro since signing during camp. With Ware and Charles iffy, West will get the bulk of the reps and should keep the line moving. This won’t be a shootout and nine points is a lot to pass on. The under also has plenty of value with some key pieces missing.
NFL Odds: Chiefs 23, Jaguars 17
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