After the first month of the season, there's little reason left to question Patrick Mahomes.
As the 23-year-old quarterback has broken multiple records in piloting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 4-0 record, the questions of when his hot start will fade have slowly worn off. Even in a comparatively restrained performance last week in a 27-23 win over the Broncos, Mahomes was the first passer to crack the 300-yard barrier against the team in 38 games.
Yet easily the best litmus test for how far Mahomes can carry the Chiefs will come Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
No team has been able to consistently keep up with Kansas City's deep array of speedy offensive weapons. The unit leads the NFL in scoring at 36.3 points per game, and nine different players have tallied at least one receiving touchdown.
But Jacksonville's defense is dotted with Pro Bowl talent at every level and ranks first in yards (259.3 per game), passing yards (164.3) and scoring (14). And after already dispatching the New England Patriots in Week 2, the Jaguars could use the matchup with the Chiefs as another proving ground against one of the league's most potent groups.
Perhaps the biggest battleground for both sides will be Mahomes' ability to make plays outside of the pocket. Against the Broncos, he threw for 192 yards outside the pocket as he extended plays and evaded the pass rush. Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue will have to not only apply pressure but prevent Mahomes from escaping and giving his downfield targets time to break free.
While Jacksonville's defense has only generated three turnovers, few teams have dared challenge its talented cornerback duo of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. The former created a stir this week when he dismissed his potential matchup with Tyreek Hill, suggesting the all-purpose threat wasn't on his level and that he built his fame as a return specialist rather than a receiver.
And while there should be plenty of sparks on the outside between Ramsey and Hill as well as Bouye and Sammy Watkins, the showdown between Travis Kelce and Tashaun Gipson could also be one of the game's determining factors. Gipson, with the help of frequent bracket coverage from linebackers Myles Jack and Telvin Smith, helped limit Rob Gronkowski to two catches for 15 yards. Kelce, however, has 300 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games.
Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Falcons secondary
A banged-up secondary has left Atlanta's defense in dire straits, as the unit now ranks third-worst in scoring (30.5 points per game) and second-worst in third-down conversion rate (50.94 percent). While some might see this as the perfect opportunity for Antonio Brown to iron out his issues with Ben Roethlisberger, it might be Smith-Schuster who continues to do the most damage for the Steelers.
Look no further than last week's loss to the Bengals to see how vulnerable Atlanta is to a No. 2 receiver taking advantage of working with one of the league's best pass catchers. While A.J. Green caught the game-winning score, it was Tyler Boyd who continually flustered the Falcons for 100 receiving yards on 11 catches. Smith-Schuster can be even more lethal, as he leads the team with 31 catches and 416 yards.
The Falcons have had to forge on with safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen out for the season with injuries, but the reshuffling likely will continue to take a toll. Both Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant haven't fared well when forced into the slot, and Smith-Schuster has recorded a league-high 326 receiving yards from the spot, according to ESPN. Pittsburgh can also create a matchup problem on the outside against rookie Isaiah Oliver, who has had trouble with polished route runners.
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