Can Chargers Challenge Chiefs for Divisional Dominance?

Your Kansas City Chiefs achieved victory last Sunday when they soundly defeated the Houston Texans, but does today offer a tougher challenge? The Los Angeles Chargers escaped Week 1 with a 16-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were, uhh, not good last year, and are expected to be, uhh, not quite exactly as good as your Chiefs will be this year. Protecting Patrick Mahomes from the likes of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa will be important for the Chiefs today, since limiting the record-breaking KC offense is a key first step to any effective Chargers game-plan. Bosa recorded one of L.A's three sacks last week, but KC's offensive line is objectively a cut above the group defending Joe Burrow in Cincy.

Don't be shocked or scared if Tyrod Taylor's comfort level as a Charger grows and he looks good against a Chiefs defense with a seriously depleted secondary. Second-year defensive back Rashaud Fenton and rookie L'Jarius Sneed will presumably start today's game due to the absences of Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward. That would worry me more if KC's depth chart didn't list the best duo of safeties in perhaps the entire league. Let's remember how lucky we are as Chiefs fans that the tandem of Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill anchors this otherwise iffy secondary.

KC's defense must also make due without Alex Okafor, but the Chargers enter today's game without trustworthy veteran center Mike Pouncey. The sensational and freshly-paid Chris Jones could cause chaos in the middle of the field when he lines up against Dan Feeney, a fourth-year lineman who usually plays guard and usually doesn't sport such regrettable facial hair. The Chiefs' D is better than the Bengals' defense that held L.A to 16 points and Tyrod Taylor to 16 completions in 30 attempts for 208 passing yards. I like Tyrod, and he still has a chance to have a better year than his overrated predecessor Philip Rivers, but L.A doesn't have enough firepower on either side of the ball to keep up with KC this year. I foresee the Chiefs cruising to a comfortable 38-17 victory.