The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are about to duke it out in a divisional showdown under the lights on Sunday night.
Before the matchup, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman spoke with us about Los Angeles’ opponent.
With Mike Williams coming back, what do you expect the game plan to be for a Chiefs team that likes to primarily play man coverage?
They’re still going to play man coverage. The Chargers are actually about to face a very different cornerback group than they did back in Week 2. The cornerback who struggled the most, Rashad Fenton, is playing in Atlanta now. First-round CB Trent McDuffie is back from injured reserve and is looking every bit like a shutdown cornerback. Then, opposite McDuffie, the Chiefs have been platooning Jaylen Watson (Week 2 pick-six) and fourth-round draft pick Joshua Williams. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiefs’ Williams got the first crack at matching up with Chargers WR Mike Williams. He’s 6-3 and 193 pounds and has the length to compete at the catch point.
How has Kansas City’s pass rush been? Should the Chargers be concerned about putting Jamaree Salyer on an island?
The pass rush is coming off of one of their best games of the season with five sacks and a ton of pressures in Week 10. It also came against a Jaguars team that was tied for the second-fewest sacks surrendered in the NFL – at least it was prior to last week’s matchup. If you’re leaving anyone on the interior offensive line on an island against Chris Jones or Khalen Saunders, you’re going to have a bad time. You can probably afford to leave guys on an island at tackle, but Carlos Dunlap and his veteran savvy are probably good for at least one “got you” moment per game. Frank Clark is also coming back from suspension this week. He seemed to hit his stride just as his suspension began, so we’ll see if he can pick up where he left off.
Every game between these two teams has been one possession since Brandon Staley was hired. What do the Chiefs need to do to prevent that from happening again?
Look around the league. The majority of NFL games are decided by a score or less. I don’t think the Chiefs care about winning by two possessions, they just want to win the game by any means necessary. They’ll take 50 ugly games in a row against Los Angeles so long as they end in a K.C. win.
What did the Chargers do successfully in the Week 2 matchup that should work again this time around?
Austin Ekeler seemed to have some success in the passing game back in Week 2 and nothing has really changed with the Chiefs’ linebacker group. I would say they should be able to find a fair deal of success throwing to Ekeler and any other running backs, especially if Nick Bolton is the primary defender in coverage.
What’s your prediction for the game?
Even if Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are back and 100% this week, I like the Chiefs’ chances in this game. The defense is hitting its stride at the right time. The offense proved a week ago that they can still score at will without their top receivers on the field. I’m also expecting a bounceback performance from their special teams unit after one of the worst performances in Dave Toub’s K.C. career. As for the Chargers, I’m worried they might be a bit desperate for a win. That could lead to some mistakes on the field and some questionable decision-making from Brandon Staley. Chiefs 33, Chargers 24.
