Jaguars vs. Chiefs 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know

The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-2, but they’re in third place in a loaded AFC West. They need to keep the wins coming if they want to keep pace in the division, and have a number of key injuries heading into a Week 9 date with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Alex Smith’s status has become one of the more bizarre stories of the week. He went down with what looked like a clear concussion in the team’s 30-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and Nick Foles finished out most of the game (Smith returned in the third quarter, only to get knocked out again). However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid insists that Smith isn’t concussed, even while ruling him out and naming Foles the starter for this week’s game. It’s a confusing situation all around.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ season continues circling the drain. They fell to 2-5 after an embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football and that finally led to a coaching firing, with offensive coordinator Greg Olson taking the fall. The Jags are technically still alive in a weak AFC South, but with the way they’ve played this season, it’s hard to see where a turnaround is coming from. Blake Bortles is playing worse than ever and the team is committing the same unforced errors every week. It’s looking like another lost season in Duval County.

Time: 1 p.m. ET
Place: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

The More You Know: Jaguars fans can check out Big Cat Country. For Chiefs fans, Arrowhead Pride is your destination.

1. Gus Bradley is still here, for some reason. Olson got fired, but owner Shad Khan decided against making any changes at head coach after Thursday night’s meltdown. This doesn’t make sense on a number of levels — the team looks like it’s mentally checked out, while the fan base is sinking deeper into apathy. Bradley is now 14-41 with the Jaguars, the worst winning record of any head coach in the modern era. He’s been given ample time to right the ship and the team continues limping along. A change must be made in the offseason if they have any hope of salvaging what should be a talented squad on paper.

2. The Chiefs have more injuries in the backfield. Smith isn’t the only injury concern in the Chiefs’ offense. Jamaal Charles went in for a second opinion on his surgically repaired knee and the news wasn’t good — he’ll need a second surgery and has been placed on injured reserve. In addition, Spencer Ware is in the league’s concussion protocol and not practicing this week. If he can’t go, the starting job falls to Charcandrick West.

3. The AFC West race is going to be fun. Most 5-2 teams would be sitting pretty in their division race, but the Chiefs have to contend with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders, who are both 6-2. Kansas City already owns a win over Oakland, but it still has to play the Broncos twice down the stretch and has a Week 14 rematch with the Raiders. If they want to stay in the race, they’ll have to pick up wins against clearly inferior opponents like the Jaguars. With the offense ravaged by injuries, that might be easier said than done.