The Kansas City Chiefs return home to Arrowhead three weeks after last playing in front of their home crowd. With their Bye Week in the rearview mirror, they face a Los Angeles Chargers team that stands 0-5, and should they lose today, it will likely end any chances they have for the postseason. The Chiefs are heavy favorites, but even as the superior team, they shouldn’t take anything for granted today.
For all practical purposes, we should have few concerns over today’s matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, if the starters aren’t resting midway through the third quarter, this game could become a close contest where one snap could decide the winner.
If you watched any college football on Saturday, it was upset city, and that could be the theme in Week 6. However, Head Coach Andy Reid is a master after the Bye Week, and I doubt that with ten players out for the Chargers today, they can keep pace with the Chiefs.
Kansas City is undefeated and holds a slim lead in the AFC West. A win today would be their third in the division this season, and it would force the Chargers into sale mode at the trade deadline in two weeks. Jim Harbaugh has been dumbfounded as to why his team is winless, but poor play from Quarterback Justin Herbert, injuries, and a highly competitive schedule that doesn’t simmer down until week nine have doomed this team.
Despite all that, the Chiefs can’t fall into the trap and do anything but put the hammer down on the Chargers. To do that, the offense has to find some rhythm without receivers Tyquan Thornton, who is out until late December, and Rashee Rice, who tweaked his hamstring against the Raiders two weeks ago.
That meant Kansas City will elevate receivers Justin Watson, who signed to their practice squad on Tuesday, and preseason standout Andrew Armstrong. Further, this could also be a game where we see Cyrus Allen more involved in the offense.
Since the Chiefs are lukewarm about signing Tyreek Hill, it’s time to see what Allen and Jalen Royals can do.
They don’t need to become the next Tyquan Thornton, but if they can put up similar game numbers together, that would do the job. Both were highly productive in college and saw enough action in four weeks to understand the offense at the NFL pace.
Yes, their snaps were limited, but Kansas City drafted them for a reason, and over the next four weeks, they’ll get increased playing time. Still, with Watson back, he’s familiar with Mahomes, so the transition should be quick.
Defensively, this team has to put pressure on the ground. They are getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but the sack numbers are abysmal, and honestly, that has to change this week. Between the Chargers today and the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday Night, they’ll face two horrific offensive lines and need to get into a rhythm before their Mile High Showdown in Denver two weeks from now.
This won’t be a preseason game for the Chiefs, because I think the Chargers still have some fight left. Still, if the Chiefs take care of business, avoid any more serious injuries, and treat this game like the same AFC West battles that always push into the fourth quarter with the game on the line, Kansas City should come out of this just fine.
Score Prediction: Chiefs 31 – Chargers 13
