Chiefs-Chargers Rivalry Renewed While KC Tries to Keep Hope Alive

Last week's miserable defeat at the hands of the Houston Texans resulted in yet another ugly stat line for the most important player in Kansas City Chiefs history. Patrick Mahomes finished that sad day with a 19.8 Passer Rating. He's gone two weeks now without a Rating reaching 30. This sent me searching through his career Ratings and QBR's for each season, and just a quick look feels revealing.

The first thing I noticed was just how little Passer Rating and QBR seem to agree. If you only trust Passer Rating, Mahomes has been a mediocre QB more years than not. That clearly means you should absolutely not do that. His current Rating for this season is 91.2, which ranks 16th in the NFL. That's below the standard he sets, but it's remarkably similar to last season's Rating of 93.5, which ranked 17th. He also ranked 14th in Rating in 2023 with a 92.6. 

That data alone would indicate the presence of a consistently mediocre signal-caller, but ESPN's QBR algorithm disagrees. Patrick's QBR ranks 4th in the league right now. He finished at 8th over the last two seasons. That brings us to 2022, when a new, disturbing pattern emerges.

Mahomes was awesome in 2022 and 2020, and every measurable agrees with that. 2021 showed yet more disparity between Rating and QBR, when Mahomes was 15th in Rating and 5th in QBR. That season, however, is the only time in this amazing stretch from 2018 to 2022 that Mahomes did not finish a season ranked top-seven in both categories. Most of this production came with freakishly athletic receiver Tyreek Hill on the team and Eric Bieniemy coordinating the offense. Mahomes' incredible 2022 campaign happened without Tyreek.

Bienemy is currently the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears. The Bears average 152.6 rushing yards a game this season. They have the most potent running game in their conference and perhaps in the league. What a perfect compliment to Patrick that would be. For now, though, the questions about next season stay on the back-burner as long as KC has hope for a playoff berth in 2025. That all depends on KC's ability to overcome one of the league's strongest defenses when they face the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead today.

The Chargers defense ranks fourth in total yards allowed per game and 10th in points allowed. They've tallied up more interceptions than any team aside from the Chicago Bears. The offense has been mostly average this season, thanks in part to numerous injuries to key parts of their offensive line, but they still rank 9th in rushing yards per game. Surprisingly, the highly talented Justin Herbert has the potential every week to be the team's biggest problem. He's even the reason I'm picking the Chiefs this week.

Despite having similar overall turnover differentials, with the Chargers at +1 and KC at -1, Herbert is the biggest liability L.A will have on the field today. Only Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith have thrown more than Herbert's 11 interceptions this season. The Chargers have a few impressive pelts on the wall after beating the Chiefs in Week 1 in Brazil, Denver in Week 3 and Philly in overtime last week, but they also suffered some embarrassing losses. Defeats at the hands of the Giants and Commanders, and double-digit defeats when facing Jacksonville and Indy all included at least one Justin Herbert interception. I'm predicting at least one more pick from Herbert as KC keeps the embers of hope warm by beating the Chargers 22-19.

Herbert's Consistently Clean Play Could Present Problems for KC

Instead of making quick work of the Raiders last week like I expected, The Kansas City Chiefs won yet another ugly game. Tonight, the competition gets much tougher when the Chiefs face off with the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers look great on paper - great coach, great quarterback, great defense. However, their lopsided record this season is a bit of a mirage. While KC keeps proving that they can win hotly contested, ugly games, the Chargers have only proven that they can beat opponents that are mediocre-at-best.

The Chargers have only beaten one team that currently has a winning record - The 8-4 Denver Broncos. Every other legit team they've faced - the Steelers, Chiefs, Cardinals and Ravens - defeated them. When they win, the Chargers' defense defines "bend, don't break" more than any other team in football. Despite ranking just 10th-best or lower in allowing total yards, passing yards and rushing yards, L.A allows the fewest points per game by a wide margin. The teams ranked second to seventh in the league right now all allow between 18 and 18.7 points a game. The Chargers allow just 15.7 points per game.

Pairing their strong defense with Justin Herbert's ability to limit turnovers has been key to the Chargers' success so far. Patrick Mahomes has thrown a surprisingly high 11 interceptions this season, which is eleven-times more than Herbert has thrown. Herbert's newly acquired wisdom has helped the Chargers to the third-best turnover differential in the league, and it should help them keep tonight's game close. The Chargers offense lost numerous recognizable names like Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but Herbert is actually averaging more yards per attempt this season than in any other season in his career. His Passer Rating this season is 0.1 points lower than it was in the best season of his career.

All this should add up to a tough, tight ballgame. It's important to remember how banged-up KC is on special teams; their kick returner and their last three kickers are all missing today's game due to injury. As long as the Buffalo Bills stay hot on the Chiefs' heels in the race for the top seed in the conference, KC will have motivation to keep winning through these last five regular season games. The Chiefs only mustered 17 points last time they faced the Chargers, but L.A could only score a touchdown and field goal each in that game. I'll go with another low-scoring affair decided by only a handful of key moments. I'm predicting a 20-17 victory for Kansas City.

Chiefs' Struggling Stars Sent West to Best Banged-Up Chargers

The two most successful players in the most successful era of Kansas City Chiefs football are both working through the worst starts to a season they've ever experienced. The modern metrics for quarterback play indicate that Patrick Mahomes is performing at a level right between that of Gardner Minshew and Kirk Cousins. Mahomes has never had a Passer Rating this low through three games. His closest compadre on the team and fellow future Hall of Fame no-doubter Travis Kelce has 8 catches for 69 receiving yards and no touchdowns. He accomplished that in a single game five different times last season, and that was his least-productive season since 2015. 

It's actually impressive to see what KC can accomplish without Mahomes, Kelce or most of their defense being great at the moment. Despite the Chiefs defense allowing the NFL's 7th-most total yards per game, 5th-most passing yards per game and tying for the 5th-worst turnover differential, KC's record remains unblemished. After continuously finding ways to win against hungry, tough competition, the Chiefs should have the edge over this broken-down version of the Los Angeles Chargers. Left tackle Rashawn Slater is out for today's game, and right tackle Joe Alt is listed as questionable. Stud linebacker Joey Bosa will also miss this game because of injury, and safety Derwin James Jr. is suspended after an illegal hit to the head on Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth last week.

When it's at full-strength, this L.A defense looks formidable. Only five teams have held their opposition to fewer yards per game than the Chargers, and only two have allowed fewer points. Do those numbers really impress you after remembering the quarterbacks they faced, though? Before losing for the first time this season to Justin Fields' Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chargers beat Gardner Minshew's Las Vegas Raiders and Bryce Young's Carolina Panthers. I know I just detailed Mahomes' current struggles, but no three-week stretch of data can change the fact that Mahomes is flat-out better than those guys. 

We also now have evidence that KC's current #1 running back can help them control the game when it matters most. Carson Steele took 17 carries for 72 rushing yards against the Falcons while Bijan Robinson ran the ball 13 times for only 31 yards. This proved crucial when the Chiefs needed to kill clock to control the game and eventually clinch it. Najee Harris did the same to the Chargers last week. That's not the only part of the Chiefs game plan that should look similar to Pittsburgh's today.

In my previous post, I noted how KC's defense could potentially limit the Falcons like T.J Watt and the Steelers did. That ended up being mostly true, as the Chiefs held a talented Atlanta offense to 17 points last week. Pittsburgh limited the Chargers in similar fashion and held them to just 10 points when L.A's offensive line was healthier. With all the Chargers' current health issues, KC can once again mirror Pittsburgh's defensive strategy for success and come away with a win. I'm predicting a 23-10 victory for the Chiefs and an efficient performance from their still-elite quarterback.

Herbert-Mahomes Meeting Makes Dramatic Divisional Duel

The 5-1 Kansas City Chiefs survived an ugly game at Arrowhead last Thursday, and they're gearing up for another tough battle on home turf this afternoon. The 2-3 Los Angeles Chargers bring a top-shelf offense into KC while the Chiefs' offense still cannot catch its stride. LA's head coach is on the hot seat, and football pundits nationwide are slowly-but-surely souring on Justin Herbert. A Chargers victory over their intradivisional nemesis to bring them to .500 would be huge for them right now. Spoiling all that for LA won't be easy, but the Chiefs have the right tools for the job.

The San Francisco 49ers allow the fewest yards per game in the NFL this season, averaging 14.5 points allowed per game. The Chiefs are right behind them with a 14.7 average. This is undoubtedly the best defense of the Patrick Mahomes era. KC is currently the only team in football ranked among the top five in both yards per game and yards allowed per game. That makes the Chiefs a truly daunting opponent every time they take the field.

LA moves the ball well, but they haven't yet proven they can beat teams with strong defenses. The Chargers offense ranks in the top eight league-wide in total yards, total passing yards and total points per game. However, LA has only played one team with a defense considered elite - the Dallas Cowboys - and the Chargers only scored 17 points. KC probably won't hold Chargers running back Austin Ekeler to under two yards per carry like Dallas did, but the Chiefs continue to show that their young, athletic defense is no joke. Herbert has his work cut out for him today, and he's already proven himself to be highly unpredictable this season.

Today's game features the QBs with the #5 and #6 QBRs in football, but the gap between Mahomes at five and Herbert at six is far more vast than it seems. Herbert had a nearly perfect game against the Minnesota Vikings when he completed 85% of his passes for over 400 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. He also has posted a sub-60 QBR in three of his five games played in 2023. Mahomes has only dipped below a 69 QBR (nice) once this season, with his 59.5 last week against Denver.  Herbert has played 23.1 points below his QBR average and 26.7 points above it. Mahomes has played 13.3 points below his average and only 8.8 points above it.

I know that's a weird, semi-deep dive, but I find it informative. The consistency of play between these two QBs is miles apart, even if that unfortunately indicates that Mahomes is consistently "good-not-great" so far this season.

The Chiefs only scored 19 against a Denver defense that was allowing over 36 points per game before coming to Arrowhead in Week 6. The Broncos rank last in the league in total yards allowed per game, but the LA Chargers are the league's second-worst in that category. They allow the most passing yards per game through six weeks of the season. LA's defense allows the 10th-lowest yards per game to opponents' tight ends, which could bother a Chiefs offense that hasn't found success throwing to anyone other than Travis Kelce lately. However, the Chargers allow the second-highest Passer Rating on wide receiver targets this season and the most yards to receivers per game. Perhaps that will help KC finally find more rhythm in the passing game.

KC should win today, but I cannot predict a blow-out victory. One of the Chiefs' key issues offensively is their red zone touchdown scoring percentage dropping down to 18th in the league right now, while the Chargers rank 5th in that regard. It's hard to beat Justin Herbert scoring field goals. That's why I'm predicting a gritty, exciting 26-24 victory for KC. Insert pun about Taylor Swift and Bad Blood here to please the SEO robots - the end.

Can Desperate Chargers Challenge Champs of Their Division?

I started the season thinking the Los Angeles Chargers would supplant our Kansas City Chiefs as the champs of the AFC West. That take looks pretty damn stale already, thanks in part to the Chargers' numerous injury concerns and growing pains. Justin Herbert and his crew still have Miami, Tennessee and the other L.A team on their schedule, so these 5-4 Chargers need to win tonight to maintain realistic playoff aspirations.

An inconsistent Chargers offense could get a boost (I'm avoiding electricity puns here on purpose) from two returning receivers who already have great chemistry with the team's struggling QB. According to Adam Schefter, both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are expected to play tonight. That could be huge for Herbert, whose recent play has been undeniably disappointing. As NFL.com reported, Herbert has four straight games with a sub-90 Passer Rating and yards per attempt under six. A guy who I expected to be an MVP candidate this year now has a Passer Rating that ranks 17th among all QBs with more than one start this season, between the ratings of Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett. Conversely, Mahomes has dominated with his new troop of offensive weapons, and the other guys performing on his level can be counted on about half of one hand.

Honestly, the only QB consistently on Pat's level this year is, wait for it, Tua freakin' Tagavailoa. I guess Tua has a certain former Chief to thank for that, but that's a topic for another time.

The large cast of characters creating football's most unstoppable offense just grew larger with the Chiefs' acquisition and subsequent effective use of Kadarius Toney. Mahomes targeted Toney five times for four receptions and 57 yards against Jacksonville last week. Toney's impact should increase all-the-more this week because of Mecole Hardman's placement on the injured reserve list. Clearly, the timing of acquiring Toney and losing Mecole was impeccable. This should keep the NFL's #1 passing and scoring offense firing on all cylinders.

The Chiefs can and will end the Chargers' hopes at a playoff run tonight. The Chargers should put up a serious fight at home, especially considering the return of their receiving core. A desperate, motivated Justin Herbert could burn KC's imperfect secondary a few times, so I'm predicting a 34-31 shootout victory for Kansas City.

KC Cannot Expect to Wreck Chargers Like They Wrecked Arizona

The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs started their seasons in very different ways this year. After a slow start, L.A's offense heated up and Justin Herbert spread the ball around effectively against the Las Vegas Raiders. Six different Chargers caught at least three passes in Week 1's 24-19 victory over the new Raiders regime. It wasn't all roses for the Chargers, though. Austin Ekeler averaged under 2.6 yards per carry, which made controlling the clock difficult. L.A's defense also allowed a variety of big plays to Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs and especially Davante Adams, which kept Vegas in a game that should've been decided by far more than a single possession.

Derek Carr had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to score a TD to take the lead, despite throwing three picks and fumbling twice. I expect Herbert's crew to put up more than 24 on a team when the opposing QB compiles a 26.9 QBR. I'd be willing to bet my house that Patrick Mahomes will put up slightly better numbers than this, but I'm only renting. Mahomes didn't throw any picks while racking up 360 passing yards and five TD passes. Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon all averaged at least five yards per carry with at least four carries each. Pacheco, the 7th-round draft pick rookie, led the way with 12 carries for 62 yards on the ground. 

I ultimately think KC loses this game tonight, but I also don't think that sting will linger for too long. I'm predicting the Chiefs as the 2022 Super Bowl winners, and I promise, that was my plan before the dominant 44-21 win in Arizona. Few teams are as complete as KC, and none have the same level of supreme talent that has achieved victory in big moments. With that being said, the Chiefs could easily prove me wrong tonight by wrecking the Chargers, who honestly looked more flawed than I expected in Week 1. I have to balance my optimism for now, though, and this newly rebuilt Chiefs offense isn't going to destroy all teams like they destroyed Arizona last week.

I'm predicting a great game and a Chargers victory tonight, mainly because I have faith in them to look more like the Super Bowl contender most fans expect to see. I also think the Chiefs are the better team when it matters most, and I'd be thrilled to see these teams face off three times this season. This time around, I'm predicting a 30-27 Chargers victory.

Quick Predictions for Every '22 Regular Season Chiefs Game

Are you fired up yet, KC? Our Kansas City Chiefs begin their regular season today against Kyler Murray's Arizona Cardinals. To commemorate the beginning of meaningful football in Chiefs Kingdom, I'm looking through KC's schedule and making a quick prediction for each game. 

KC's first game against the Cards could have been a significant test for KC with DeAndre Hopkins on the field. Without his play-making ability, I'm giving the clear edge to the Chiefs here. Reid/Mahomes beats Kingsbury/Murray until proven otherwise, even though Kingsbury/Murray is really fun to say. Predicted Record: 1-0.

Game #2 is a toss-up at Arrowhead Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers. Let's balance some of my upcoming optimism by predicting an L for the Chiefs here. The Chargers have the talent, if not the experience, of a Super Bowl contender. It could be Justin Herbert's time to step up and get to that next level of playoff success, but Mahomes and Burrow still stand in his way. Predicted Record: 1-1.

The Indianapolis Colts shouldn't be favored by anyone in Week 3, despite still having Wild Card potential this season. Indy could even challenge the steady Tennessee Titans for that division title, but they're one of many teams who won't quite stack up with KC this year. Predicted Record: 2-1.

Week 4 takes the Chiefs to Tampa for a second straight road game. KC could lose this one, but I'll give them the edge over a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that's lost some momentum and talent since their Super Bowl LV victory. We'll cover this topic exhaustively when the time comes. Predicted Record: 3-1.

The Las Vegas Raiders then return to KC to lose to Mahomes for the eighth time in his ninth game facing that franchise. This will be the Raiders' fifth game under new head coach Josh McDaniels and stud wide-out Davante Adams. Real offensive cohesion will presumably take longer than that. Predicted Record: 4-1.

The Buffalo Bills travel to Arrowhead for a game where they'll seemingly have the edge. KC snuck by last time when they still had Tyreek Hill, and Buffalo could now be the league's best team on paper. It's hard to bet against the Bills this week...or this whole dang season. Predicted Record: 4-2.

The San Francisco 49ers should present a unique challenge with a strong coaching staff, but I'm giving KC the edge in this one. That means I'm predicting KC to win two rematches of recent Super Bowls within four weeks. Weird. Predicted Record: 5-2.

The Chiefs follow up their bye week with a trip to Nashville for an intriguing test of the new-look defensive line, which should be somewhat galvanized at this point. Any significant success in limiting Tennessee Titans star RB Derrick Henry should lead to a Chiefs victory. Predicted Record: 6-2.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may improve throughout this season, but not enough to upset the Chiefs in Week 10. Back-to-back home games against beatable opponents represents a strange must-win pair of games for KC when they have such a brutal schedule before and after this short stretch. Predicted Record: 7-2.

Chiefs split the season series with the Chargers by winning this Week 11 game in LA. This is my least-confident prediction. I wouldn't be shocked if KC swept the Chargers, or if it happened the other way around. Predicted Record: 8-2.

The Los Angeles Rams don't represent an automatic L for KC, but the reigning champs are one of very few teams who could arrive in Arrowhead late in the season as the betting favorite. Give them the win here, but could KC get revenge in The Big Game? Crazier things have happened. Predicted Record: 8-3.

Speaking of revenge, I want so badly to pick KC to win on the Cincinnati Bengals' home turf in Week 13. Truth is, Burrow's Bengals have the Chiefs' number until proven otherwise. This kinda reminds me of what I typically say about Mahomes. That's how the benefit of the doubt works when it's earnestly earned. Predicted Record: 8-4.

The tradition of over-panicking in Chiefs Kingdom will take place later than usual this time around, specifically when KC loses in Denver in Week 14. This hypothetical path puts the Chiefs dangerously close to missing out on the playoffs entirely, despite hypothetical wins over strong competition like the Bucs and Chargers. All these possible paths indicate that even reaching the playoffs is no given for KC this season. Predicted Record: 8-5.

Wins against Houston and Seattle will put an end to some fear in the fanbase, just in time for an exciting face-off with the Broncos at Arrowhead. Both the Texans and Seahawks are expected to stink, so they're the duo that earns the least analysis time from me or probably anyone else. Predicted Record: 10-5.

Vegas oddsmakers predict the Wilson/Hackett version of the Broncos to win 10-11 games this season. Am I the only person wondering about this? I want to give Denver the win, for balance or for being devil's advocate or for simply believing the experts, but my gut says it won't happen. The Chiefs blank the Donkeys this year to stomp on their fans' hopes and reach an impressive 11-win record with one regular season game left. Predicted Record: 11-5.

Week 18 will could decide some critical playoff seeding for KC, while perhaps being the last chance for the Raiders to earn a Wild Card. This tightly contested game should be won, as it usually is, by the superior duo of QB and head coach. That duo will belong to Kansas City for at least two more presidential elections. Predicted Record: 12-5.

That's a high bar to set for what we expect this season, yet I predict that this still leaves KC without a divisional title. I think the Chargers are about to look excellent. A variety of factors could prove me wrong, including injuries, turnover concerns and major flaws on special teams. If all goes well for Herbert's crew, however, I expect them to win around 13 games and the AFC West crown.

I'll review the Cards game, preview the Chargers game and give my Chiefs-related playoff predictions next week. Check in then for plenty more Chiefs Kingdom content.

Can KC's Defense Bother Burrow's Bengals?

It's tough to tell what will limit Joe Burrow any given week. He's won and lost against teams with varying pressure rates, yards allowed per game and any other relevant stat I could think to Google. Burrow lost by three to both Aaron Rodger's Green Bay Packers and Mike White's New York Jets. The Cincinnati Bengals' young signal-caller ranks 6th league-wide in passing yards while tying for the league lead in interceptions, which results in a 52.7 QBR that ranks 13th. His upside is tremendous, but Joe's still justifiably unpredictable.

What's more predictable is the continued success of the Kansas City Chiefs defense. Nobody but the Los Angeles Chargers' objectively strong offense has mustered more than two touchdowns in a game against KC since the first day of November. Only four teams in football hold opponents to fewer points per game than the Chiefs. Cincinnati's passing offense will pose a serious threat today. The Bengals rank 8th overall in passing yards per game and seventh in points per game. However, KC overcame a similarly potent opponent very recently when they outscored Justin Herbert's Chargers just two weeks ago. Herbert's offense ranks fourth in passing yards and total yards per game this year, and the Chargers score 0.1 points per game fewer than Burrow's Bengals.

The spotlight once again shines brightly on Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who once again deserves his roses for the incredible improvement shown by this defense. This improvement, when paired with a quarterback-coach tandem that's destined for the Hall of Fame, will give the Chiefs the advantage today. I predict an exciting 31-27 victory for Kansas City.

Can Chargers Damage Chiefs' Championship Chances?

This week's Thursday Night Football will present the most important game of the regular season for the AFC West. All eyes will be on the 9-4 Kansas City Chiefs when they line up against the 8-5 Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium tonight. As fans prepare for this pivotal meeting, as well as all the playoff drama that's soon to come, I'm coming to grips with a bitter truth regarding the quarterbacks in tonight's game.

Chiefs Kingdom knows how great Patrick Mahomes is, but Justin Herbert has been better than our guy this season. Don't kill the messenger - it's a simple mathematical fact. Herbert's been better in every major statistic except for sacks and sack yards lost. When they faced off earlier this season, the young Chargers QB threw for four touchdowns without a turnover and recorded an Adjusted QBR that was 23 points higher than Patrick's. There is no denying that Herbert won the first battle of the season. The Chargers winning the war tonight would do serious damage to the Chiefs' chances at claiming another championship.

This game could come down to the last possession, as indicated by the three-point spread, and the way Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo coaches around a few key omissions to the defense could decide who wins tonight. Both teams could be dealing with major omissions to the roster, but we know for sure that Kansas City will be without Chris Jones, Willie Gay and L'Jarius Sneed. I was happy to give Spagnuolo credit recently for this defense's drastic improvement, but tonight is his biggest test of this regular season. I have faith that Spags can pass that test, especially because I have faith in guys like Nick Bolton and conference defensive player of the week Mike Hughes to make the most of their increased snap count.

It's a good time to be hot, and nobody's hotter than the Chiefs right now. Nobody's reached double-digits on this defense in three games, and nobody's scored more than 17 in the last six. Only five teams in the NFL now hold their opponents to fewer points per game. That's an objectively good defense, and a good defense succeeds even when missing key talent. I believe the Chiefs can meet these somewhat lofty expectations and win this one 31-24.

Will Herbert Wilt Under Wild Arrowhead Crowd?

Witnessing an elite team's adjustments after a disappointing defeat is an inherently intriguing moment in any sport. How will the Kansas City Chiefs react to letting the game slip away last week? KC returns to Arrowhead today to face a foe from within the division with a bright future and a potentially elite young quarterback.

The Los Angeles Chargers, despite my praise, also failed to win a very winnable game last week when they lost 20-17 to the Dallas Cowboys. Justin Herbert shows flashes of brilliance and has completed over 70% of his passes this season, but he's falling short of the production offered by Patrick Mahomes. Herbert has a Passer Rating of 86.1, an Adjusted QBR of 42.8 and a 7.7 yards-per-completion average. Mahomes has a Passer Rating 131.4, an Adjusted QBR of 78.6 and a 10.1 yards-per-completion average.

The promising Chargers QB has an array of worthy weapons at his disposal. A potent combo of Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen could give the Chiefs defense headaches, but again, the Chargers haven't yet put the pieces together to create a consistently successful offense. After facing the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team, this Herbert-led offense averages 416 yards per game  which is fifth-highest in the NFL. Despite this success moving the ball, their average of 18.5 points scored per game is sixth-lowest.

The frightening truth for Chiefs Kingdom entering this game is that KC's defense keeps failing to perform at the same level as those in Dallas and D.C. The Chiefs defense allows the most yards per game of any team in the league and the fifth-most points so far this season. Their biggest failures have come in the redzone, where Chiefs opponents have scored eight touchdowns in eight appearances.

Today's face-off certainly seems like a good example of the old "something's gotta give" cliché. Will Herbert continue to stunt his own success with turnovers, or will KC's defense keep crumbling deep in their own territory? The results from this game will give us a little bit of both, I would guess. Look for the Chiefs to make a play or two on defense that will mostly make up for their aforementioned redzone struggles. I'm predicting an exciting, rivalry-growing 33-27 victory for the Chiefs as the Arrowhead crowd goes crazy.

Many Week 17 Moments Still Matter To Mastermind Brett Veach

Depth and productivity provided by an undrafted player represents success for the Kansas City Chiefs in so many ways. Finding effective parts of the roster that won't break the bank seems to be a key strength for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. Promising former Missouri Tiger Yasir Durant could be the next poignant example of Veach's very successful strategy.

Injury problems persisted throughout 2020 for KC's core of trustworthy offensive linemen, which makes the emergence of young talent all-the-more important. During a critical meeting with the Miami Dolphins in Week 14, a back injury sidelined veteran Chiefs right tackle Mike Remmers. This gave undrafted rookie Yasir Durant his first opportunity at real NFL playing time.

Durant consistently faced top-shelf collegiate pass-rushing talent when he played three seasons as one of the best linemen in the SEC. The freshly-signed Chief played 24 of his 38 NFL offensive snaps as he replaced Remmers that day, and Yasir looked solid doing it. Head coach Andy Reid sounded impressed with the lineman's intellect when speaking with media in the weeks that followed, telling anyone asking about Durant that he was "smart" and displayed "great upside."

Analyzing the effectiveness of an undrafted lineman doesn't sound like the most thrilling way to spend your Sunday, but these smaller details matter to the folks trying to create a dynasty in this salary cap-altered era of American football. Durant is just one of many examples of less-heralded parts of the roster getting a chance to shine, thereby affecting the way KC builds their team in the future. Resting first-stringers like Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins gives the coaching staff more time to analyze Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle. More snaps for tight end Deon Yelder will help KC learn more about the status of depth at that position.

The effectiveness of these players is pivotal in building KC's plan for both the offseason and the next draft. Hidden somewhere in whatever office the Chiefs use to do their big-picture strategizing is a board or a list of some kind deciding how to prioritize certain parts of this team during the upcoming NFL draft and the free agency market. Today's game should give us moments that move certain positions up or down that board, especially concerning the offensive line and wide receiver groups. That probably won't give you goosebumps like a Patrick Mahomes playoff game, but it is meaningful.

Patrick Should Ease Panic in Chiefs Kingdom

Our Kansas City Chiefs found numerous creative ways to help themselves lose in Tennessee last week, which immediately added weight to this evening's meeting with the Chargers in Mexico. The reigning MVP returned to the field and racked up 446 passing yards and three touchdowns. Somehow, Kansas City then lost. This stunning defeat makes KC's chances at a first-round bye slim, to say the least. If our Chiefs cannot defeat the Chargers tonight, the lowly Oakland Raiders will momentarily claim first place in the division. Imagine explaining that to a member of Chiefs Kingdom when KC was 4-0 to start the season.

It took a lot of things going wrong for our Chiefs to stumble into a loss last week, and that's a very important thing to remember going forward. Up to four different members of the offensive line were missing at some point due to injury. Damien Williams coughed up the football, which the Titans scooped up for a defensive touchdown. The reliable Harrison Butker missed an extra point. Then came the ugly, painful ending, wherein the Chiefs seemed determined to beat the odds and give away a win by any gut-punchingly wacky means necessary.

The prolific combo of Mahomes and Reid got the ball back in Titans territory with less than two minutes left in the game and a five-point advantage. KC failed to moved the chains, leaving 1:27 on the clock as the Chiefs set up for a 47-yard field goal attempt. Then, that botched field goal/intentional grounding thing happened. This disaster left Ryan Tannehill's Titans with the ball on the Tennessee 39 with a minute and 21 seconds left to play. That led to the touchdown which gave the Titans the lead, but Mahomes still had a little time left for magic. Even after all these shenanigans and mistakes, Patrick Mahomes put KC in a position to tie with a long field goal....but you know what happened next.

I'm hearing a bunch of media personalities jumping off the bandwagon after this disappointment, but that seems illogical to me. All this stuff, this somewhat self-inflicted and silly stuff, was necessary to make the Chiefs to lose a game to an average NFL team. I didn't expect this team to have four losses at this point in the season either, but we have to look at the long list of reasons why those L's exist before we jump to any excessively harsh conclusions. Then, look at KC's remaining schedule, and remember the fact that KC plays four of its six remaining regular season games against teams with losing records.

With Mahomes healthy, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo at least showing us an openness to adaptation, this Chiefs team still has a good chance at finishing the regular season as a more cohesive, effective football team than what we saw last year. If you believe that, then you still believe they have Super Bowl aspirations. 

Now, if our Chiefs get stomped tonight by the 4-6 Chargers, we can all proceed to panic. I don't care about how surprising it is that the Chargers aren't better, and I don't care about their thus-far-underutilized talent. The Phightin' Philips simply aren't better than our Chiefs on paper or on the gridiron. Their yards-per-game average ranks in the middle of the pack, and their scoring ability is well below-average. But, while the Chargers offense looks unimpressive on paper, their defense looks elite. 

San Diego The Chargers rank fifth league-wide in yards allowed per game, and only five teams in the NFL hold teams to fewer points per game this season. This could dampen the moods of folks hoping for a high-scoring affair, but I still expect Andy and Patrick to hungrily regain respect in prime-time tonight. That doesn't mean it will be easy, and every time I come here to tell you the Chiefs are objectively better on paper than another team, that team then hurts my feelings by hurting the Chiefs. Tension will be high tonight in Mexico City, but KC has a little advantage and a lot to prove.

Doug LaCerte writes about the Chiefs and mostly ignores his Twitter and Facebook.

Comparing Schedules of All AFC West Contenders

The ongoing collapse of the Kansas City Chiefs left the door wide open for other teams in the AFC West to fight back into the race for the division title. KC now sits at 6-6 along with the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. Chiefs Kingdom assumed the West would be wrapped up by now, but it's suddenly anybody's division to win.

The Chiefs get back to business next Saturday at noon when they face the Raiders at Arrowhead. They then host the Chargers in Week 15 in a rare Saturday night game, before facing the Dolphins on Christmas Eve in the Chiefs' third consecutive home game. KC then finishes off the regular season with a 3:25 meeting at Mile High with the Broncos on New Year's Eve. None of these teams are currently above .500, but hey, neither are any of the last four teams to beat your Kansas City Chiefs. The opportunity to beat both other clubs vying for the division title gives the Chiefs control over their own fate, but how do the competition's schedules compare to Kansas City's?

The Chargers play the 5-7 Washington Redskins next week, then travel to KC for that odd Saturday Night game. Then, they'll get their chance to beat up the Jets, before wrapping up their regular season schedule against the Raiders. Oakland's path to the playoffs seems far more arduous. After playing the Chiefs next week, they'll host the 6-6 Cowboys before travelling east to face the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles. Then, as mentioned before, they finish their regular season against the Chargers.

On paper, KC's path to the playoffs is still easier than that of any other team in their division, while the Raiders' looks like the toughest. Each squad will face the other two teams with playoff aspirations, so it should be an unexpectedly exciting fight for the division title until the very end.

If I had to guess, and I don't love predicting anything about this unpredictably awful Chiefs team right now, I'd say that the Chargers win three out of four as the Chiefs and Raiders win just two of four. That makes the L.A Chargers my current favorite to win the AFC West. Thinking it and typing it both make me feel sick. Please prove me wrong, Chiefs.

Doug LaCerte still has Facebook and occasionally tweets @DLaC67.

3 Quick Predictions for KC in Week 3

The Chiefs and Chargers kick off at the StubHub Center just moments from now. Here are my three quick predictions for Week 3:

1. The Los Angeles Chargers gave up 230 yards through the air to Jay Cutler last week and 219 to Trevor Siemian in Week 1. Alex Smith has thrown for over 250 yards in each of the first two games this year. Smith will continue this success and rack up more passing yards against the Chargers than any other QB this season until Week 8, when the Chargers visit the Patriots.

2. No running back has averaged more than 4.4 yards per carry against the Chargers defense this season. Andy Reid's creative play-calling with Kareem Hunt, and possibly Tyreek Hill, will change that today.

3. The Chiefs have the 10th-highest average of points allowed per game, and only three teams have allowed more yards per game this year. This bend-don't-break stuff could come back to bite us this week. The Chargers scored 21 points against Denver and 17 against Miami, but Philip Rivers and Company could break out any week. I expect San Die-err, uhh, the Chargers, to score more than 21 today. I still predict them to lose to our Chiefs, 27-23.