The Kansas City Chiefs have faced a fair bit of adversity in their attempt to overcome the Los Angeles Chargers balanced gameplan, but a huge reception that went for 40 yards to Tyreek Hill from Patrick Mahomes put them back in position to win their Week 15 matchup. With several key starters out on defense against an electric Chargers offense, the Chiefs have looked outmatched at times, but have still packed a punch that could win them this game.
The defensive deficiencies that come with having so many missing contributors have necessitated that Kansas City’s offense pulls more weight than usual. Their recent stint of hot-and-cold performances has largely underwhelmed relative to their Super Bowl aspirations, but the big connection from Mahomes to Hill provided a spark that fans haven’t seen in a few weeks.
Have a look at the big play here, and check out how much interference Hill had to fight through by the Chargers defender who was later penalized for the contact:
HOW 😱😱😱
📺: #KCvsLAC on FOX pic.twitter.com/2XkAulxlkr
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 17, 2021
Though the highlight-reel play is sure to keep viewers glued to their televisions, it didn’t go far for the Chiefs’ hopes of taking the lead. Kansas City marched down the field following the effort by Hill, and they were stopped on a fourth-down try at the goal line, giving Los Angeles the ball back on their own two.
They need more chunk plays like this to find the extra gear they’ve shown they have to close out games and put the margin beyond doubt in the past. Heading into the fourth quarter they still face a one-point deficit that has proved difficult for the team to overcome amid middling performances on both sides of the ball.
If they want to keep their lead in the AFC West and control their destiny ahead of the playoffs, the Chiefs will need to rely on more long passing plays to stun the Chargers stingy secondary.
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