4 Chiefs players the Chargers must game-plan for in Week 11

The Chiefs are a talented team, but Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out who the Chargers must really hone in on.

The Chargers are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Chiefs are looking to get back on track after losing their last four of six games in Week 11 of the regular season.

With an enticing division battle set for Monday night, here are four Chiefs players that the Bolts have to game-plan for if they wish to come away with a victory.

QB Patrick Mahomes

It didn’t take long for Mahomes to establish himself as one of the best players in the league. After a season that resulted in winning the league’s most valuable player, he continues to take the league by storm. In eight games played, Mahomes has thrown for 2,628 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception.

The former Texas Tech product missed two games with a knee injury, but he quickly recovered and nearly put up a career-high game against the Titans, passing for 446 yards.

Mahomes can beat you in a multitude of ways, whether it be with his cannon of an arm or with his legs to evade the pocket. The Chargers will need to pressure him early and often, not only with defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but additional pass rushers off the edge to make him feel uncomfortable and to keep him off the field.

Kurt Warner says Patrick Mahomes might be ‘most complete QB we’ve ever seen’

Warner is ready to argue that Mahomes might be the best QB to ever play the game and he’s not saying it carelessly.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time singing his praises.

On Tuesday, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner took to Twitter and offered up a scorching-hot take on the Chiefs’ young gunslinger. Warner said that he might be ready to argue Mahomes is the most complete QB ever to play the game of football. He acknowledged it’s still early in Mahomes’ career but simultaneously fawned over the special things that Mahomes is capable of both mentally and physically. Check out what Warner had to say in the tweet below:

We’ve seen the crazy throws, the next-level anticipation, the blitz awareness, the command of the offense at the line of scrimmage. It feels like it’s all only getting better for Mahomes lately. He’s coming off one of the best performances in his young career and it occurred just 24 days removed from dislocating his kneecap. Against the Titans in Week 10, he threw for 446 yards. It was the second-highest passing yardage total of his young career, trailing only the shootout with the Rams in 2018.

It’s not shocking to see Warner take an interest in Mahomes right now. The Chiefs QB has broken NFL records previously held by Warner. This past week, Mahomes surpassed Warner for the most total passing yards (8,007) and most 300-yard passing games (16) through 25 career games.

It’s not just the one game, though, because what Mahomes has done statistically this season is quite impressive. He’s thrown for 2,626 passing yards (6th in the NFL), 18 touchdowns (3rd) and one interception (tied for 1st). His lone interception came on a throw where he saw a flag and thought he had a free play, but the officials picked up the flag.

Keep in mind that he accomplished all of this in just seven-and-a-half games, leaving one of those games early with a kneecap dislocation. Mahomes is clearly improving from his MVP campaign in 2018, and that is a scary thought. It’s no wonder why Warner is thinking that we just might be watching the best QB to ever play the game.

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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Twitter reacts to Chiefs’ WR Mecole Hardman’s 63 yard TD

Mecole Hardman Jr. scores his 5th TD of the Chiefs’ NFL season and twitter reacts to the rookie’s speed.

Mecole Hardman Jr. is starting to become a NFL Sunday household name.

The rookie wide receiver out of Georgia has been making highlight play after highlight play this season for the Kansas City Chiefs and did it yet again this Sunday.

On Sunday, Hardman caught a jump pass from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and took it to the house for a 63 yard touchdown, leaving defenders in his dust and looking foolish.

WATCH:

Twitter started to buzz over the rookie’s wheels.

Hardman has also been putting in more work than most, showing up hours before games and hours before any other players to catch punts from the Chiefs’ assistant equipment manager.

Hardman has been nothing short of entertaining this year, and with Mahomes back after suffering a dislocated kneecap, the two have the potential to be one of the leagues top QB-WR threats.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes continues to break NFL records

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ performance on Sunday helped him leave his mark on NFL history yet again.

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If you’re in need of an indication that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back and as good as ever, this should do the trick.

Mahomes made his 25th career start on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. It also marked his return from a kneecap dislocation. Despite the Chiefs’ loss, Mahomes completed 36-of-50 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns.

A lot of NFL records have crumpled at the hands of Mahomes, and he added several more on Sunday. According to NFL Communications, Mahomes now holds the record for the most passing yards through 25 career games with 8,007. Hall of Famer Kurt Warner is the only player who comes close to that in 25 games, with just under 7,400 passing yards.

That isn’t the only record Mahomes surpassed. He also passed Dolphins legend Dan Marino for the most passing touchdowns through 25 career games with 68. Marino had 65 in his first 25 career games.

And that’s not all. According to Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen, Mahomes has the highest passer rating and the most completions in his first 25 starts of any player in NFL history. He’s essentially leading all quarterbacks in four of the most meaningful passing categories through 25 games.

Finally, Sunday’s game marked Mahomes’ 16th with at least 300 passing yards. It was enough to surpass Warner for the most games with at least 300 passing yards in a player’s first 25 games.

You won’t see Mahomes bragging about these individual accolades, especially when the Chiefs aren’t winning. Still, it’s awe-inspiring how every time Mahomes steps on the football field he manages to break another record and etch his name in the NFL history books. You can rest assured this won’t be the last time you hear about Mahomes surpassing a record. The next one may even happen as early as Week 11 against the Chargers in Mexico City.

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