Broadcast Boards: Prep for Chiefs-Chargers

Something’s gotta give:

• In Week 1 games, the Chiefs have won nine of their past 10. They’re 3-0 in regular-season international games and can join the Vikings as the only teams to win their first four. ANDY REID has 17 wins in season-opening games, most among active head coaches.

• The Chargers, meanwhile, have won five of their past six Week 1 games. Head coach JIM HARBAUGH is 5-0 in season-opening games. They’re 1-2 in regular-season international games.

When the Chiefs have the ball:

• Mahomes totaled 3,928 pass yards and 26 TD passes in 2024. He joined Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight seasons) as the only players ever with 3,500-plus pass yards and 25-plus TD passes in seven of their first eight seasons. Mahomes has the most TD passes (245) and third-most pass yards (32,352) ever by a quarterback in his first eight seasons.

• Mahomes is 6-0 with 14 TD passes, three interceptions and a 107.6 passer rating in his past six starts vs. the Chargers.

• Against his own division, he’s 35-5 with a 100.3 passer rating in 40 career starts.

• In Week 1 starts, he’s 6-1 with 22 TDs (21 pass, one rush) with two INTS and a 122.8 rating.

• Isiah Pacheco has 2,528 (66.5 per game) scrimmage yards in 38 career games since entering the NFL in 2022. He aims for his fourth in a row vs. the Chargers with 60-plus scrimmage yards. Pacheco has a rush TD in two of three career Week 1 games.

• Kareem Hunt led the team with 728 rush yards and seven rush TDs in 2024.

• Travis Kelce ranked third among TEs with 97 catches in 2024, becoming the first player ever with 90-plus catches in seven straight seasons. He ranks third all-time among TEs in catches (1,004) and receiving yards (12,151), and fifth in receiving TDs (77). Kelce aims for his 12th game in a row vs. the Chargers with five-plus catches. He has a receiving TD in two of three career international games.

• Worthy ranked sixth among rookies last season with six receiving TDs.

• Khalil Mack is the only NFL player with six-plus sacks in each of the past 10 seasons. He aims for his fourth in a row against the Chiefs with a pass defensed, and has a sack in two of his past three international games.

• Tuly Tuipulotu led the team with a career-high 8½ sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024.

• Daiyan Henley led the team with a career-best 142 tackles last season.

• Derwin James had seven passes defensed and set career highs in tackles for loss (10) and sacks (5½) in 2024; he’s the only NFL player with 5-plus passes defensed five-plus tackles for loss in each of the past four seasons. James had a sack in the teams’ last meeting.

• Tarheeb Still led the Chargers and ranked tied for second among rookies with four INTs last season.

• Donte Jackson makes his Chargers debut after a career-high five INTs in 2024 with Pittsburgh.

When the Chargers have the ball:

• Justin Herbert was the NFL’s only QB last season with 20-plus TD passes (23) & three-or-fewer INTs (three). He has 21,093 career pass yards and 1,945 completions, both the most ever by a QB in his first five seasons. Herbert had eight TDs and one INT with a 103.1 passer rating in six starts vs. his division in 2024. He’s 3-1 with seven TDs (six pass, one rush) and one INT with a 100.6 rating in four career Week 1 starts (zero INTs in each of his past three).

• Najee Harris is expected to make his Chargers debut. He totaled 5,461 scrimmage yards (4,312 rush, 1,149 receiving) & 34 TDs (28 rush, 6 receiving) over the past four seasons with the Steelers. He’s the fourth player since 1990 with 1,000-plus rush yards & seven-plus rush TDs in each of his first four seasons. Harris has 191 scrimmage yards (95.5 per game) in two career games vs. the Chiefs.

• Omarion Hamption (rookie) was selected No. 22 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, the Chargers’ first RB selected in the opening round since 2015 (Melvin Gordon).

• Ladd McConkey ranked fourth among rookies last season in catches (82) & receiving yards (1,149). He tied for fourth in receiving TDs (seven), and finished the season with 50-plus receiving yards in 10 straight games, not including his NFL rookie playoff-record 197 yards in the wild-card loss to the Texans. He had a TD catch in his only career game vs. the Chiefs (9/29/24).

• Keenan Allen returns to the Chargers after totaling 70 catches for 744 yards and seven TDs in 2024 with Chicago, his 11th career season with 700-plus receiving yards.

• Chris Jones is one of four NFL players with five-plus sacks in each of the past eight seasons. Jones has 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks in each of his past six games against the Chargers. He has forced a fumble in each of his past two Week 1 games.

• George Karlaftis led the team with eight sacks in 2024.

• Nick Bolton the team with 106 tackles last season, his third career 100-tackle season since entering the NFL in 2021.

• Trent McDuffie led the team with a career-high 13 passes defensed in 2024, and aims for his third straight Chargers game with a pass defensed.

• Kristian Fulton is expected to make his Chiefs debut. He totaled seven passes defensed n 2024 with the Chargers.