KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs haven't squared off against the Jacksonville Jaguars since Week 1 of the 2019 season.
At the time, Gardner Minshew was in at starting quarterback filling in for an injured Nick Foles.
It's been awhile since the two teams have seen one another, however, it's been a much longer time since the Jaguars have beaten Kansas City, with 2009 being the last time Jacksonville knocked off the Chiefs.
And the last time the Chiefs gave up a win to the Jaguars at Arrowhead was in 2007.
Even with statistics and odds ever in their favor, Kansas City won't be taking the threat of Jacksonville lightly.
On Sunday at noon, Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence will face off for the first time in the NFL.
Mahomes said Lawrence is a dynamic quarterback that's had success on every level.
"Yeah he is super talented; he is kinda like a lot of guys on their team," Mahomes said. "He's young, he's made mistakes, but I think you see the talent week in and week out.
Mahomes said there's multiple ways for Lawrence to be effective, something the team will have to be ready for.
"He makes a lot of big time throws; he can run the ball better than people think and he is someone who has won on every level," Mahomes said. "He has been on, you can see they have turned things around here pretty quickly, they haven't won the games, but you can tell the team has gotten a lot better over the last year."
The Jaguars come into Kansas City with a 3-6 record, but that doesn't necessarily reflect the team's talent — something Kansas City coach Andy Reid is aware of.
"Even the games that they have lost, they have just lost just by a few points, you know a score, so you see their excitement," Reid said.
Reid added the Jaguars have a "belief" and won't hang their head when things aren't going their way.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs are prepping for a team that put away the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday after overcoming a 17-point deficit.
"They have a lot of talented guys down there, their record might not reflect it," said Joshua Williams, Chiefs rookie defensive back. "So we are taking them serious and we are preparing seriously for them."
Lawrence completed 80% of his passes last Sunday, the former No.1 overall pick in the 2021 draft threw 235 yards and one touchdown.
"He's dynamic," William said. "You know he can throw the ball well, but he can also move and it might not get as much recognition, but he definitely can run the ball pretty well."
The defensive line that held Titan's running back Derrick Henry just last Sunday gets geared up for another big challenge.
Chiefs rookie defensive end George Karlaftis said Lawrence does it all and presents a threat not only in the air, but on the ground.
"He's very long and he's like a 6'6," Karlaftis said. "(He's a) Dude that can make every single throw on the field, he's also a really good mover, so we will have our hands full with him. He can move out of the pocket which they use a lot, he can escape also when there is a lane, so we just gotta be on our stuff."
Six of Jacksonville's losses this season were by eight points or less.
"I think statistically across the board they are pretty good," said Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson. "They've lost a lot of close games and they got another great front and some good guys in the back end, a lot of draft talent that has come through there in the past few years, so they are a good team."
The Chiefs kick off against the Jaguars at 12 p.m. on Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
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