KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This one was easy to analyze.

The Jaguars on Sunday played one of the NFL's best teams in one of the NFL's toughest venues. That made it a game in which they needed to take advantage of opportunities.

They didn't, and the result was a 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in a game the Jaguars could have won had they made bigger plays in key situations but that they never really seemed all that close to winning after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' three first-half touchdown passes.

The Jaguars forced three turnovers and recovered an onside kick to open the game. They scored seven points off those opportunities. Head Coach Doug Pederson said afterward that defined the game. He couldn't have been more right.

Let's get to it …

Mr. Obvious from Jacksonville

Wayyyy too many mistakes to win against Mahomes and Co.

This was a slightly different game on this front for the 2022 Jaguars. Whereas a lot of their losses this season have been about key turnovers in the red zone, they had no giveaways in those situations Sunday. They just didn't score enough. Same result.

Pedal Bin from Farnborough, Hampshire, UK

Oh Mighty 'O' / King of all Funk, time for a new kicker?

Among the more glaring issues for the Jaguars Sunday indeed was kicker Riley Patterson missing second-quarter field-goal attempts of 41 and 51 yards. Patterson has missed three of his last five field-goal attempts. Pederson didn't address his future in the postgame press conference Sunday and my sense is it's too early to make such a move. But it's not an absurd question. We'll see.

Art from Glassboro, NJ

No rational person went into the game expecting to win, but the Jaguars kept the Jaguars from winning that game.

Good eye.

Jess from Glen Carbon, IL

Wow! On-side kick recovered by the Jags!!!

This was the much-ballyhooed, sometimes-mocked, oft-imitated, never-surpassed First Email of the Game, and it immediately followed a successful onside kick by the Jaguars on the opening kickoff. It did show Pederson's aggressive mindset for the game, a mindset he believed needed considering the opponent and venue. The problem, of course, was the Jaguars had to punt on the possession and therefore didn't take advantage of the field position/momentum. It was a sign of things to come, as it turned out.

Matt from Aldie

I know it's Kansas City. I know the Jags are a young-and-up-and-coming team. But to be the twenty-third team this year to be plus-three in the turnover margin and the first to lose … why, oh why, does that seem like a Jaguars thing to do?

I confess I don't love questions about "Jaguars things to do." What defined this team in past seasons doesn't really apply to what I see as an improving team. But until the Jaguars begin to win more consistently, such questions will persist, so OK.

Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ

The good Trevor didn't show up today, the skittish one did. KC destroyed the Jags with as sloppy a game as they've ever had.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 29 of 40 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. I thought there were a couple of plays early that he could have thrown earlier and helped the offensive line. But I also thought Lawrence played well for the most part, stayed poised and was accurate. I thought he had one of his better, more-consistent games. It did not feel like a "skittish" performance. But I usually rewatch the game Monday morning with Rat Dog. Maybe she'll see something different.

Mark from Crescent Beach, FL

Could it be possible Lloyd is worse than Myles Jack? Lloyd looks lost.

Jaguars rookie linebacker Chad Muma replaced rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd for a time Sunday. Pederson said afterward the move was not injury related.

Bobby From Section 410 from Summerville, SC

Hi, John. No question here, just a statement. Riley Patterson needs to go!!! Simply not getting the job done!! Two missed field goals in a game like this is not acceptable!!!

No, Patterson's misses were not "acceptable." Mistakes are not "acceptable." Is there a better option with which the Jaguars are more comfortable. That's why you would make such a move, not out of short-term emotion.

Michael from Cincinnati

I don't understand starting the game off with an onside kick and then not going for it on any fourth downs in the first half.

Pederson went for two fourth-down conversions in the second half and the Jaguars converted both attempts. I was maybe a little surprised he didn't opt to go for a first down on fourth-and-2 from the Chiefs 44 with the score 0-0 in the first quarter, but it was early. Other than that, the right situations really didn't feel like they presented themselves to be overly aggressive on fourth down in the first half.

James from Titusville, NJ

Good teams catch the football. Bad teams drop the football.

Fair.

JT from Palm Coast

Elite teams have a way of making young teams look horrible. We had entirely too many chances and didn't capitalize on any of them (story of the season). This is what happens.

Also, fair.