Tag: Chargers vs. Chiefs preview

Chargers final injury report vs. Chiefs: 2 players out, J.C. Jackson questionable

Chargers WR Keenan Allen will miss the contest against the Chiefs as he’s dealing with a hamstring issue.

The Los Angeles Chargers released their final injury report ahead of the Week 2 battle with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here is a look at the report:

Justin Herbert will be without No. 1 wide receiver Keenan Allen, who has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. In addition, tight end Donald Parham will miss the action for the second consecutive game.

Los Angeles will likely call a wideout up from the practice squad, whether that be Michael Bandy, Joe Reed or Jason Moore Jr. Richard Rodgers or Hunter Kampmoyer will fill in as the third tight end.

Cornerback J.C. Jackson is questionable to play in what would be his debut as a Charger. Jackson has been sidelined for the past few weeks due to an ankle procedure.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert looks to stay hot vs. Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium

Chargers QB Justin Herbert is undefeated at Arrowhead Stadium.

Arrowhead Stadium is not the most welcoming place for opposing teams. That reputation comes from the crowd noise, which Chiefs fans have become notorious for over the years.

While it might be one of the most hostile sports environments, quarterback Justin Herbert has been one to ignore the noise when he has stepped on Kansas City’s turf.

In both his trips to Arrowhead Stadium, Herbert is 2-0 and has 583 passing yards, seven touchdowns to zero interceptions, with a 70% completion percentage and a passer rating of 129.1.

In Herbert’s first exposure to Arrowhead, he guided the Chargers to a 38-21 win – throwing for 302 yards and accounting for four touchdowns against a Chiefs team primarily playing their backups.

Last season, Herbert amassed 281 yards passing and four touchdowns en route to an overtime victory by the score of 30-24.

Even though the conditions of the stadium have not negatively impacted his game, it’s always a challenge for Herbert and company when they face the Chiefs, and it should be no different on Thursday night.

In Kansas City’s victory over the Cardinals in Week 1, they showed once again why they are a threat not just in the division but to win another Super Bowl title.

Even though the electric playmaker in Tyreek Hill is no longer with the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes still played at an MVP-caliber level – going 30 for 39 with 360 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Defensively, the Chiefs held Arizona’s quarterback Kyler Murray to less to just 193 yards passing and 29 yards rushing and keeping them to just seven points for most of the game.

Meanwhile, Herbert went 26-of-34 passing for 279 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Los Angeles’ victory over the Raiders in the season opener.

The Chargers’ defense held on against Las Vegas’ Derek Carr and Davante Adams, amassing six sacks and three turnovers.

With two of the league’s best quarterbacks, a pair of bright head coaches and plenty of star power on both sides of the ball, this divisional showdown between Los Angeles and Kansas City should have all the fireworks.

Chargers’ reasons for optimism vs. Chiefs in Week 2

Here are four reasons for optimism for the Chargers as they face the Chiefs on Thursday night.

The Chargers largely looked smooth on Sunday against the Raiders.

Will their success continue on Thursday against the Chiefs?

Here are four reasons to believe Los Angeles will start 2-0:

Butterfingers

Kansas City may have beaten Arizona 44-21 on Sunday, but the Chiefs fumbled the ball five times, somehow only losing one of them. Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, and Isiah Pacheco all fumbled once, while JuJu Smith-Schuster fumbled twice. The Chargers, on the other hand, forced three fumbles against the Raiders. While Kansas City will undoubtedly focus on ball security leading up to the game, the Week 1 stats suggest Los Angeles should be able to pop it loose once or twice on Thursday.

Top 3 quarterback play

If there’s anyone that can hang with Patrick Mahomes, it’s Justin Herbert. The two young superstars have matched up three times in their careers, with the Chiefs holding a +3 point differential across the games. Two of them have gone to overtime, with Kansas City pulling both of them out, while the Chargers won the solitary matchup to finish in regulation. In four career games against the Chiefs, Herbert has thrown for 1,130 yards and ten touchdowns to just two interceptions, good for a quarterback rating of 108.3. Stopping Mahomes entirely is practically impossible, but keeping pace with him has proven to be a winning strategy before. With Herbert at the helm, Los Angeles is one of the few teams capable of doing so.

J.C. Jackson’s possible return

Jackson was estimated as a limited participant on Tuesday after an estimated did not practice on Monday as he continues to rehab from ankle surgery. Getting him back on Thursday would be huge for a Chargers’ defense that has already seen offseason additions Khalil Mack and Austin Johnson make a big impact on the game. There’s plenty of hype for what this defense is capable of with Jackson in the fold, too:

If Jackson’s debut comes on Thursday, it could be enough to tip the scales in the Bolts’ favor.

Road Warriors

Per Tipico Sportsbook, LA is a 3.5-point underdog on Thursday in Arrowhead. But in four games last season as a road underdog, the Chargers finished 3-1 both against the spread and straight up. That’s a bit surprising considering that Los Angeles finished 4-4 on the road as a whole last season. It suggests the Bolts will be ready to play on Thursday, even in a stadium as loud as Arrowhead.

6 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 2 opponent: Chiefs

To get you prepped for the Chargers’ Week 2 matchup with the Chiefs, here are six things to know about their opponent.

After defeating the Raiders, the Chargers meet with another division rival, the Chiefs, on Thursday night, Sept. 15, at 5:15 pm PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 2 bout, here are six key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Still slinging it

One of the questions coming into the season was how Patrick Mahomes would look without the electric wideout Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Dolphins this offseason. Well, he still looked like one of the top signal-callers in the NFL in the Chiefs’ victory over the Cardinals in Week 1. The former MVP threw for 360 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions en route to a 144.2 passer rating. He connected with nine receivers, including newcomers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who combined for ten catches and 123 yards in their Chiefs debuts.

Travis is still a terror

While Mahomes spread the wealth on Sunday, he still favored his top target, tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce paced Kansas City’s receiving group with eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

Dominant defensive effort

The Chiefs’ defense limited Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to 193 yards passing and 29 yards rushing. A big part of their success was star defensive tackle Chris Jones, who tallied five pressures and a 23.7% pass-rush win rate on 30 pass-rush snaps. Other top defensive performers were cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, defensive end Carlos Dunlap and defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton, who each recorded a sack, and linebacker Nick Bolton, leading the team in tackles (10). As a whole, Kansas City broke up seven passes.

Strong rookie group

The Chiefs had a few first-year players on the field in Week 1. Cornerback Trent McDuffie was arguably the best out of the bunch. McDuffie didn’t see any targets across his 21 coverage snaps. However, McDuffie won’t play against the Chargers, as he was placed on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury. Their other first-rounder, defensive end George Karlaftis had three pressures and a quarterback hit across his 22 pass-rush snaps. Second-round wide receiver Skyy Moore had a catch that went for 30 yards. Seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco scored the first touchdown of his career and led the group with 62 rushing yards.

Fumbling issues

The Chiefs had trouble hanging onto the football in Week 1, finishing with five fumbles. While they lost just one of those, the Chargers showed the ability to knock the ball loose against the Raiders, generating three fumbles. This could be a great opportunity for Los Angeles to win the turnover battle.

Suspect special teams

Harrison Butker injured his left ankle on a kickoff in the first quarter. That led to the Chiefs bringing in their emergency kicker, safety Justin Reid. Yes, a safety. Reid wasn’t perfect – he missed an extra point, and one of his kickoffs was returned to the 48-yard line. Butker was carted off the field but was able to return later in the contest. He kicked a 54-yard field goal and hit all four of his attempted extra points. Looking ahead, Butker appears unlikely to play against the Chargers. Kansas City signed Matt Ammendola to its practice squad this week, and he could be promoted to the active roster in time for Thursday’s game.

Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Chiefs Wire

Answers to five burning questions about the Chiefs ahead of their matchup with the Chargers on Thursday night.

The Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) and Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) are about to duke it out in a divisional showdown on Thursday night.

Prior to the matchup, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman spoke with us on Los Angeles’ opponent.

Why isn’t Patrick Mahomes playing near the same caliber as the past two seasons?

This whole thing about Patrick Mahomes not playing well is a myth created by the fact that he was a football alien for his first three seasons in the league. Mahomes is fifth in the NFL in passing yards, fifth in passing touchdowns and there are four weeks left in the regular season. Sure, he’s thrown more interceptions than any season in his career, but he’s had some sour luck there. Over half of his interceptions hit one of his own players before they were intercepted, and while he’s shouldered the blame for that, there’s something to be said about the lack of execution on the part of his receivers. He’s made plenty of the highlight-reel freaky throws that he’s been known for in recent weeks, which tells me he’s getting a bit more comfortable and confident in this version of the Kansas City offense.

What changes were made to make the defense such a threat?

It’s really a culmination of things. First off, the team is much healthier. Even with the absences that Kansas City will have in this game, they’ll have a healthy Frank Clark, Charvarius Ward, and Juan Thornhill, which they didn’t have back in Week 3. Then, they’ve got some new pieces who have found their footing in the new scheme. Guys like Jarran Reed, Mike Hughes and rookie LB Nick Bolton are all playing way better than they did earlier this season. Credit to Steve Spagnuolo and the coaching staff too, because they’ve done a good job of identifying what this group is best at and doing that often. Then, there’s the player the team added in trade that Chargers fans are all too familiar with…

How is Melvin Ingram doing with the Chiefs?

Incredible? I’ll stop short of calling him the team’s best defender, but his addition was certainly the catalyst for this defensive turnaround for Kansas City. His addition allowed the team to play Chris Jones at defensive tackle, where he thrives, as opposed to playing edge rusher. Beyond that, Ingram has just picked up things really quickly and contributed in a big way in both the run game and the passing game. I think he’s helped with the development of some younger players too. Guys like Mike Danna and Turk Wharton have really taken a liking to Ingram and stepped their game up as a result.

How big of a deal are the losses of Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed, and Willie Gay?

Chris Jones and Willie Gay Jr. are massive, but the secondary is deep enough that it should be able to handle the loss of L’Jarius Sneed. He missed Week 14 against the Raiders to go home after the tragic death of his oldest brother. Tyrann Mathieu played a lot more slot corner and Mike Hughes played on the outside opposite Charvarius Ward as a result. Hughes won AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. But Jones and Gay, those are losses that Kansas City won’t be able to so easily replace. Next to Aaron Donald, there’s no player in the NFL as disruptive on the defensive interior as Jones. He has notched 6.5 pressures per game during the Chiefs’ six-game win streak. As for Gay, he’s the best athlete the team has at the linebacker position. Keep in mind, both Jones and Gay didn’t play when these teams face off back in Week 3 either, so relative to the last time they played, it’s pretty much status quo for Kansas City.

Have any players stepped up since the last time the two teams met that the Chargers should be wary of?

On defense, with Rashawn Slater out, Frank Clark is going to be someone to watch. As I mentioned earlier, he didn’t play in Week 3. He’s been playing some of the best football of his Chiefs career lately, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. He’s averaging over 4.5 pressures per game over the last six games. On offense, I wouldn’t be shocked if the team gave Derrick Gore some carries this week. Gore, of course, spent two stints on the Los Angeles practice squad and has emerged as the No. 3 back in Kansas City lately. He scored a 51-yard touchdown against the Raiders’ starters in Week 14.

Who wins?

I’m much less confident in KC given their absences on the defensive side of the ball. That said, it’s a short week and it’s tough to beat a team twice in a season. I think the Chiefs fend off the Chargers this time around, but it’ll be the first time they’ve allowed over nine points on defense in the past three weeks. Chiefs 31, Chargers 23.

Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Chiefs Wire

Answering five questions about the Chiefs and their matchup with the Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) and Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) are about to duke it out in a divisional showdown.

Prior to the matchup, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman spoke with us on Los Angeles’ opponent.

1. How do the Chargers slow down the Chiefs explosive offense?

They should try and replicate the Ravens’ plan from last week. Baltimore sent delayed blitzes which really surprised all of the new starters on the offensive line. It also was pretty effective disrupting Mahomes on a few occasions.

2. What’s going on with the Chiefs defense?

They’re working through a few different things. Their best linebacker, Willie Gay Jr., is on injured reserve. Chris Jones is playing defensive end full time and that’s also an adjustment. They played significantly better at Arrowhead in Week 1, so returning home should help them get back on the right track.

3. What area/position of the Chargers could determine the outcome of this game?

Austin Ekeler is the guy I’m looking at. The Chiefs are the worst team in the league defending the run through two weeks. They’ve never been good defending running backs in the passing game either. Ekeler could bust this game wide open.

4. Who is an under-the-radar Chief on both sides of the ball that Chargers fans should know about entering Sunday?

On offense, sixth-round right guard Trey Smith is someone you’re going to notice. He’s a tone-setter in the run game and the passing game. On defense, I’ll go with rookie linebacker Nick Bolton. He’s really aggressive playing downhill and he’s flashed quite a bit in the first two weeks of play.

5. Score prediction

I went with Chiefs 31, Chargers 24 in my official prediction. I like what LA is building, but Andy Reid has a crazy record of success against first-year head coaches. I think Kansas City gets this one in the confines of Arrowhead.

3 adjustments the Chargers must make vs. Chiefs

Highlighting three areas the Chargers must be better in against the Chiefs.

The Chargers are just two days away from taking on the Chiefs in a heated division battle.

After suffering their first loss of the season last Sunday against the Cowboys, Los Angeles has adjustments to be made in order to avoid going 1-2 and falling to last place in the AFC West.

With that being said, here’s a look at three things that L.A. must clean up heading into the Week 3 matchup against Kansas City.

Execute in the red zone

Against the Chiefs, the best defense is offense. The Chargers have done a fine job of getting the ball up and down the field, averaging 416 yards per game. However, Los Angeles is only averaging 18.5 points per game, which ranks No. 27 in the NFL. The issue stems from the inability to score when they’re in the red zone, only converting three times on 10 trips.

Whether it is running the football or getting tight end Donald Parham involved more, the red zone play-calling and execution must be crisp. With an opponent like Kansas City, L.A. can not afford to leave points off the scoreboard altogether or trade field goals for touchdowns or else the Chiefs’ high-powered offense will leave them in the dust.

Eliminate penalties

The Chargers have committed the fifth-most penalties (18), with the majority of them coming last Sunday against the Cowboys (12). While of a couple of them were controversial calls, Los Angeles also had a handful of them that were all technical and mental.

It is going to be extremely difficult for L.A. to beat the Chiefs if they can’t play a clean game through all four quarters, which means the team must stay composed on all three phases.

Stay disciplined against the run

The Chiefs have arguably the most explosive offense in the league and while they are going to look to beat the Chargers through the air, they know they can exploit Los Angeles on the ground after surrendering 126 and 198 yards in the first two games, respectively.

With Justin Jones out for the second-straight week, Linval Joseph, Jerry Tillery and Christian Covington all need to really step it up against a new and improved Kansas City offensive line.

Those guys must gain initial leverage and be stronger at the point of attack to prevent holes from being opened up, and defenders at the second and third levels must diagnose quickly and rally to the football to avoid missed tackles.

Nasir Adderley flashing true talents for Chargers

Third year is the charm for Chargers safety Nasir Adderley.

Several players have benefited from head coach Brandon Staley’s scheme early on, but one of the most notable defenders is third-year safety Nasir Adderley.

After having his rookie season hampered by an injury and experiencing highs and lows in his play in Gus Bradley’s defense last year, Adderley has flashed play-making abilities in the first two games.

Utilized as a deep safety, in the slot and in the box, Adderley has not only made plays in coverage, but he has shown improvement as a tackler in the run department, something he struggled with a season ago.

Adderley has been playing with the athletic twitch and coordination to match offensive skill players, as well as the ability to anticipate well and trust his diagnose skills to put himself in position to make plays.

While he has consistently been around the football, Adderley had two opportunities to come away with turnovers, one against Washington and the other against the Cowboys. However, he wasn’t able to finish on both occasions.

Adderley attributed his inability to wrap his hands around the football due to a dislocated finger injury that he sustained in college, adding that it has only gotten worse since then but he has been doing hand therapy to help with the recovery process.

“I’ve never had a problem coming down with interceptions and stuff like that,” Adderley said. “I am dealing with a little something with my finger going on, like a dislocation but trying to figure out a way because it is affecting how to catch the ball.”

Heading into this weekend’s game against the Chiefs, Adderley will be an integral piece to neutralizing tight end Travis Kelce and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman to prevent Kansas City’s high-powered offense from getting hot.

That means staying sticky in coverage, making stops in the open field and coming down with the plays if he’s in position to make them because it does not happen all that often that quarterback Patrick Mahomes turns the ball over.

Key matchups to watch in Chargers vs. Chiefs

Four key matchups to watch on Sunday when the Chargers take on the Chiefs.

Week 3 will feature a star-studded showdown between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, with big names on both sides of the ball fighting to get their teams from falling to 1-2 and last place in the AFC West.

With that being said, here are the top matchups to watch this Sunday:

Chargers DB Derwin James key to erasing Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

Derwin James is one of the very few players who can cover Travis Kelce effectively on a snap to snap basis.

If the Chargers want to come out of Week 3 with a win, eliminating the passing attack of the Chiefs takes top priority.

Among quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ slew of big-play weapons capable of taking over the game is tight end Travis Kelce.

Through two games, Kelce is leading all players at his position in receiving yards (185) and is second in touchdowns (3).

While Los Angeles has been stout against opposing tight ends thus far in the season, Kelce is a different breed who will require plenty of attention.

Therefore, the team will be banking on safety Derwin James to blanket him, just like he did when the Chargers made that great comeback in 2018, in which he limited Kelce to two catches for a measly two yards.

The season after, James held Kelce to just one reception for six yards.

Since James was out the entire 2020 season with an injury, he didn’t get the opportunity to match-up against Kelce, but his presence was greatly missed after Los Angeles surrendered 90 yards and a score on nine catches.

Kelce is a huge body who can make big plays and extend drives, which is why someone who has the movement skills and cover awareness of James is key to slowing him down.

Having James shadow Kelce as opposed to double covering him will allow L.A. to bracket the speedy Tyreek Hill with multiple defenders to minimize him from taking command with his top-tier short-area quickness and long speed.

Expect the Chargers to play a great deal of dime defense (six defensive backs) to prevent explosive plays from occurring. If they can do so, Los Angeles will have a great chance of taking out Kansas City in front of their home crowd for the second week in a row.