As marquee matchups go, the Chargers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium might very well fall into the dud category. After all, the winless, battered and bruised Chargers don’t appear to be a match for the well-rested and undefeated Chiefs.
Read more Rams trying to string together four consistent quarters against Cardinals
Compounding matters is one of the NFL’s best head-to-head and most compelling individual matchups is off. Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. was ruled out Friday because of a hamstring injury, which means he won’t renew his longtime battle with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“Definitely a bummer, bro,” James said.
So, what are we expecting Sunday, Chumps versus Chiefs?
A one-sided victory for Kansas City could be in store, moving the AFC West-leading Chiefs to 5-0 and dropping the last-place Chargers to 0-6. The Chiefs are rested and ready for the Chargers after they had their bye in Week 5. The Chargers are injury-riddled after five straight losses.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have regained their mojo after the Chargers eliminated them from the playoffs in Week 15 last season. Mahomes looks sound again after injuring his ACL late in the Chargers’ 16-13 victory on that 15-degree day last Dec. 14 in K.C.
The Chiefs’ resurgence has been aided by the addition of ex-Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker, who is the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 537 yards, averaging a league-best 6.2 yards per carry. The Chargers’ defense is giving up only 3.8 yards per rush.
So something’s got to give.
Given all that’s gone haywire with quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense and the way offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has shouldered the blame, the defense has flown under the radar. It’s been quite good, keeping the Chargers in games, giving the offense chances.
The Chargers have given up an average of 311.6 net yards per game, 10th-best in the 32-team league. They have given up 193 net passing yards per game, also 10th-best. They have given up 5.1 yards per play, sixth-best. They have stopped opponents 31.5% of the time on third downs.
Defensive lineman Teair Tart, outside linebackers Khalil Mack, Akheem Mesidor and Tuli Tuipulotu, plus linebacker Daiyan Henley and, of course, James, haven’t received their due credit for no other reasons than the Chargers’ record and the focus on their offense to start McDaniel’s tenure.
Read more UCLA passes Big Ten test, dispatches Wisconsin
Henley has a team-leading 32 tackles; Mesidor, a rookie, is tied for third with 22.
The defense has coalesced around players-only meetings on Fridays, according to first-year defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary. They watch game film together for between 20 to 30 minutes and talk about past games and upcoming ones, too, and without the presence of any coaches.
“I think the best defenses, the best teams I’ve been around, have always been player-led, so you’re always trying to foster that and build that as a group,” O’Leary said. “That’s one way we try to do that, is to give them time during our meeting times, so just do it together and talk together at the end of the week. I think it’s really been good for them. It allows them to identify some things that maybe they all have questions about and weren’t brought up throughout the week.”
No question, the Chargers were at their best in the third quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, when they wrestled control of the game allowing the offense to rally for a 17-10 lead going into the fourth. The offense wilted in the final quarter and the Chargers lost, 23-17.
“Awesome at times,” O’Leary said of the play of the defense against Denver.
For instance, even with James sidelined, the Chargers blanked the Broncos in the third quarter, giving up a grand total of nine yards and zero first downs in the period. Overall, the Chargers held quarterback Bo Nix to 123 yards passing and limited their ground game to 106 yards.
In the end, because of the offense’s struggles plus two fourth-quarter turnovers by Herbert, the Broncos took possession of the ball at the Chargers’ 27, 41, 23 and 34 for their final four drives. Denver missed a field goal, scored a touchdown and then kicked two field goals.
“Still got to put, like, a complete game together,” O’Leary said. “We’re getting there. I thought the moments at the end of the game where it was a three-and-out and a missed field goal and then forcing field goals at the very end, that’s growth for us. We made a big deal out of that. This is what we’re chasing.”
Read more All evacuations lifted as Norte fire in south OC at 25% containment