The Chargers are on the road to face the Chiefs under the lights on Sunday night, Dec. 8, at 5:20 p.m. PT.
To get you prepped for the Week 14 bout, here are a few key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.
How things are going…
The Chiefs have the best record in the AFC at 11-1, with their only loss coming against the Bills.
Close wins
When you see the Chiefs’ record, you would think they’ve dominated their opponents. However, it has been far from that. Kansas City has now won nine games by one score or less, with six coming down to the final drive.
Pat is not all that
The Chiefs are atop the AFC, but their success cannot be attributed to Patrick Mahomes’s play. This is statistically Mahomes’ worst season. He is completing 68.4% of his passes but has a career-low 4.4% touchdown rate and a career-worst 2.6% interception rate.
Key piece is back
When the Chargers played the Chiefs back in Week 4, they were without running back Isiah Pacheco, a vital piece of their offense. Pacheco was sidelined for two months with a leg injury and returned last week against the Raiders. He only ran the ball seven times but averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
Spag’s defense is still dominating
The Chiefs aren’t going to make it easy for the Chargers’ offense. Kansas City’s defense ranks No. 8 in scoring defense (19.6 allowed points per game). While they’re slightly susceptible against the pass, ranking 23rd, the Chiefs are a brick wall against the run. They’re only allowing 87.8 rushing yards per game, good for the third in the NFL.
Look out for…
Defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Chargers have had problems along the interior part of the offensive line, which Jones will look to exploit. Jones has 54 quarterback pressures and six sacks this season.