After an exciting AFC West showdown, the Chargers travel into Arrowhead to face another high powered divisional rival. The Chargers and the Chiefs have been consistent, must see TV ever since Quarterback Justin Herbert entered the league. He holds a record of 2-2 versus the Chiefs and is undefeated when entering a hostile environment in Kansas City.
“He’s accurate at all three levels of the field.”
The Chiefs have been an absolute power house in the AFC since acquiring $500 million dollar Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They have run the division for six straight seasons, and even with the huge losses of Tyreek Hill and Tyrian Mathieu, Sunday’s matchup in Arizona proved they plan to continue the streak. Mahomes lead the Chiefs to a 44-21 victory over the Cardinals posting 360 yards with 5 touchdowns. Head Coach Brandon Staley had nothing but praise for the Texas Tech product in his Wednesday press conference. “He can really hurt you post snap. He’s got outstanding field vision so he can really see the field. He’s accurate at all three levels of the field,” Staley stated when describing Mahomes. The Chargers coaching staff knows from experience that they will be put to the test facing the division foe.
The Chargers are a different team than last season
The last time these two teams faced, the game went into overtime where a long Travis Kelce touchdown all but ended the Bolts season. Los Angeles looks to prove yet again that they are not the same old Chargers from last year. With a revamped defense, and one of the deepest receiving rooms in the NFL, the Chiefs know that the Chargers will not go down easily. “A lot of late nights and time up in the building. We have to be prepared because they (Chargers) have a really good defense. We have to go out there and execute if we want to find a way to win,” says Mahomes.
Chargers conservative play calling needs to be addressed
Offensive play calling was called into question when attempting to close out the Raiders in week one. The Chargers leading running backs, Austin Ekeler and Sony Michel, were averaging around 2 YPC. This brought on a lot of questions about OC Joe Lombardi. Lombardi began a conservative approach trying to hold onto a lead in the 4th quarter. This lead to a Raiders comeback late in the game after the Chargers failed to capitalize on back to back interceptions. Reporters were quick to question the Offensive Coordinator during his Monday press conference. “I got a little too conservative. It was frustrating and I was disappointed after the game that we didn’t hold onto the ball longer.”
Chargers injury concerns continue
Los Angeles will certainly be relying on the depth of their receiving room as well as their secondary on Thursday night. Five time Pro Bowl Receiver Keenan Allen left early on Sunday with an apparent hamstring injury. When asked about the status of Allen at his press conference, Coach Staley said that Allen is doubtful to suit up against the Chiefs. Staley was also asked about the status of All-Pro Corner J.C. Jackson, who missed last weeks matchup after having ankle surgery. He told reporters that Jackson is working out, but there is a roughly 50/50 chance he will suit up on a short week.
The Chargers currently sit atop the AFC west due to their 1-0 record within the division. Thursday’s matchup provides the Bolts with an opportunity to gain early separation from the rest of the division. They need to let Quarterback Justin Herbert loose on offense, and the defense needs to repeat their performance from last week as the Chargers travel into Arrowhead. If they can clean up the conservative play calling, and be more consistent on the ground, the Chargers can move to 2-0 before hosting Jacksonville in week 3.
Check out this recap of the Charger’s week one matchup against the Raiders! https://gridironheroics.com/chargers-defense-exposes-raiders/
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