Takeaways from first half of Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez gives his thoughts from the first half of the matchup between the Chargers and the Chiefs.

The Chargers trail the Chiefs 10-9 in a low scoring affair at the halfway mark.

Here are our takeaways from the first half:

The Chargers defense has been playing lights out against a Chiefs offense that ranks near the top of the league. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has yet to surpass 100 passing yards and the rushing attack has been held to less than 50 yards on the ground.
Linebacker Thomas Davis has been dominant against the run, but he’s made a couple key plays in coverage.
Cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Michael Davis are having great games, keeping the Chiefs wideouts in check. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who came up with the big-time interception in the first quarter, has done a nice job keeping everything in front of them.
The Chargers offense is in full control, but the two turnovers have killed them and that’s why the Chiefs have the lead.
Running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler have been awfully productive tonight. The two have combined for 199 yards from the line of scrimmage. They’re having success carrying the football and have been deadly in the short passing game.
Quarterback Philip Rivers’ first interception wasn’t his fault, but the second one was. It was a bad read from Rivers, attempting to go wide receiver Keenan Allen and safety Tyrann Mathieu made the perfect play on the ball.
Aside from the one sack given up, the offensive line has given Rivers a lot of time to distribute the football.

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Reasons for optimism and concern for Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez delivers the reasons to be optimistic and concerned about the Chargers’ Week 11 matchup against the Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, but they will both be on the road in Week 11 for a primetime bout at Estadio Azteca on Monday night.

The Bolts are currently listed as underdogs, and there’s a reason for that. But while all signs are in the Chiefs’ favor, the NFL is always unpredictable and anything can happen. With that, there’s plenty of reasons for concern facing a tough Kansas City team, but there are reasons for optimism, too.

So, what should fans of the Chargers be optimistic and concerned about going into the Monday night matchup?

Reason for optimism

Chiefs defense isn’t really anything to boast about

Kansas City wins the majority of their games with their lethal offense. But on the other side of the ball, there isn’t that much about their defense that gives any reason to be worried about.

Entering Week 11, they’re allowing 369.5 yards per game, 5.6 yards per play, 148.1 rushing yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry, all of which ranks near the bottom in the NFL.

All of this is the recipe for running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler having huge performances. As for quarterback Philip Rivers, I expect him to bounce back against a secondary that has no interceptions and has allowed eight touchdown passes since Week 7.

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Chargers RB Melvin Gordon set to have field day vs. Chiefs

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon could have a season-high performance against the Chiefs on Monday night.

After a few lackluster games since returning to the Chargers lineup after his holdout due to contract disputes, running back Melvin Gordon is starting to pick things up and display the player that everyone has been anticipating.

The past two games combined, Gordon has rushed for 188 yards on 42 carries (4.4 yards per carry), including three touchdowns. His performance against the Raiders last Thursday marked the first time a Chargers player has rushed for over 100 yards.

Gordon will have an opportunity to have a season-high game, facing a Chiefs run defense that is allowing 148.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks second-worst in the NFL.

Gordon’s first few performances showed a rusty player that had been out of live game action for so long. But since he’s been getting more reps and is getting into a flow, along with the change to the offensive coordinator, it’s all starting to come together for the former Wisconsin product.

Starting out of the backfield, Gordon’s vision has improved significantly. He is quickly diagnosing defenders coming his way and seeing holes that are made for him instead of relying purely on his strength to drive through a pile of scrap.

Along with that, Gordon is running with the grit and toughness that he’s known for, refusing to go down and delivering blows to defenders to keep the play churning.

Going into the Week 11 matchup, expect the offense to rely heavily on pounding the rock with Gordon and Austin Ekeler to exploit the weakness of the Chiefs defense.

If you own Gordon on your fantasy team, start him this week.

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Chargers players not fond of practicing in Colorado

Some of the Chargers players aren’t happy with practicing in Colorado for a few days prior to the matchup against the Chiefs.

The Chargers’ home for the next few days will be at Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO in preparation for Monday night’s game against the Chiefs in Mexico City.

Coach Anthony Lynn moved the team from California to Colorado because he wants to get the players acclimated to the altitude they will be playing in Mexico City, which is about 7,300 feet above sea level.

Lynn has his purpose for having the Bolts practice in Colorado for a few days, saying that even though science suggests it could take seven or eight days to acclimate to it, as a former player it pays dividends.

But some of the players aren’t too thrilled with it.

Running back Austin Ekeler, grew up in Colorado, doesn’t mind practicing there because he’s used to it, but he elaborated that it’s a different story for his teammates, saying that some of them would’ve rather practiced in Costa Mesa, CO.

“I think there’s a lot of mixed feelings about us coming here. Me personally, I kinda like the change-up. I’m probably a little biased, obviously, because I’m from here. I was looking forward to being back in Colorado for a week, but I know some people disagree with that. They would rather have it at our own facility, back in our regular routine,” Ekeler said.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen went to his personal Twitter account to express some frustration. It’s all not certain what it’s about, but based on the day, it seems like he’s talking about being in Colorado.

“I hate everything about this,” Allen tweeted on Tuesday.

I hate everything about this!

— Keenan Allen (@Keenan13Allen) November 12, 2019

Defensive end Joey Bosa made it seem like he didn’t care the team was in Colorado, but would’ve rather stayed home in California and practice if he had the choice.

“You notice a difference out there a little bit with breathing. I don’t know if a few practices is enough to get acclimated to it. But, we’re here. We’ll make the most of it.”

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4 key things to know about Chargers vs. Chiefs

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the four most important things to know about the matchup between the Chargers and Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) clash in Mexico City on Monday night.

Here are four key things to know about the Week 11 matchup.

Patrick Mahomes is back

After a knee injury sustained in Week 7, it only took Mahomes two weeks to return to live game action. In his return last weekend against the Titans, he managed to put up what would be a typical performance, throwing for 446 passing yards, which was the second-highest passing yardage total of his career. This season, he has amassed 2,686 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception.

Pressure, pressure, pressure

After making a few key signings to the defensive front, the ability to get after the quarterback skyrocketed for the Chiefs. Through 10 games, Kansas City leads the league in sacks (52). The team suffered a huge loss after defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a torn pectoral muscle last Sunday. Ogbah led the team with 5.5 sacks. They still have pieces up front that won’t make it an easy task for the Chargers offensive line.

Can’t stop the run

While the Chiefs have a knack for pressuring opposing quarterbacks, they struggle to stop the run immensely. Kansas City ranks as the second-worst team in the league, allowing 148.1 yards per game. For the Chargers, having success running the ball with running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler will be key in order to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field.

Not the same Chiefs everyone is used to

The Chiefs were a trendy pick to reach the Super Bowl, but their play hasn’t suggested that. After starting 4-0, they have lost four of their last six games. Even with Mahomes back last weekend, who was nearly flawless, they still lost. Their offense will put up a plethora of points, but their opponent has been able to match it because the defensive has allowed so many big plays. On top of that, the pass protection has been on a downward spiral. Kansas City allowed only three sacks in the first four games, but they’ve allowed 15 in the last six contests.

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2020 Pro Bowl voting now open

It’s time to cast your vote to send your favorite Charger to the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is officially open.

Fans can vote on NFL.com/ProBowlVote from Tuesday, Nov. 12 until Sunday Dec. 12. The rosters for the AFC and NFC will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17 on NFL Network.

During the final two weeks of 2020 Pro Bowl voting — November 28-December 12 — fans will also be able to vote on Twitter. To cast a vote, fans should tweet the first and last name of the player, the player’s official Twitter handle, or a hashtag including the player’s first and last name. It must include the hashtag: #ProBowlVote.

Fans, players and coaches will each account for one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl

Even though it hasn’t been the sunshine and rainbows for the Chargers, the team still has several players worthy of Pro Bowl consideration this season.

Running back Austin Ekeler has been a force as a ball carrier and as a pass-catcher. Ekeler has totaled 899 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has cooled down a little bit the past few weeks, but he has still amassed 62 receptions for 725 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, cornerback Casey Hayward continues to shut down some of the league’s best receivers on a weekly basis. In the trenches, defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa remain as one of the top pass-rushing tandems, combining for 13 sacks.

Fullback Derek Watt and linebacker Drue Tranquill have done their fair share of work on special teams. Watt leads the league in special teams tackles with 12, while Tranquill is third with nine.

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