The Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) kick off their AFC West slate against the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) this Sunday. The Chargers are considered K.C.’s biggest threat to a ninth-straight division title, though threat is a strong word.
Key game details
Location: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Date: Sunday, Sept. 29
Time: 3:25 p.m. CT / 1:25 p.m. PT
Network/streaming: CBS
Radio: 96.5 The Fan, Chiefs mobile app
Broadcasters: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Referee: Shawn Smith
Spread: Chiefs 7 to 7.5-point favorites
Weather: (Dome) Approx. 76°, mostly sunny, up to 9 mph winds, chance of rain 0%
Injury reports from Thursday
Shout out to Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen for the report.
Defensive end Mike Danna is a recent addition to the Chiefs’ injury report. If he misses the game, it’ll be interesting to see whether second-year D-lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah earns more work. FAU had a sack in last week’s game.
In what seems like a yearly occurrence, the Chargers’ injury report is a mess. They might go without quarterback Justin Herbert, linebacker Joey Bosa, and offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater this week. It’s also worth noting that starting safety Derwin James will be out as well, serving a one-game suspension for repeated unnecessary roughness penalties.
Notable storylines for Week 4
Everyone on the Chargers is injured
The Chargers are a talented squad, but they’re going to have a tough time competing with the Chiefs with so many players out/injured. Missing James is already bad enough, as James has typically been the guy to attempt to slow down Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. But missing two offensive tackles, their star pass rusher and their quarterback? Even if half of those guys miss the game, it could be disastrous.
The most notable injury to keep an eye on is, obviously, Herbert. He has a tendency to play through injuries, often to his detriment, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him tough this one out. But how effective will he be if he does play? The best game plan might be for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to send his famous blitz packages to keep Herbert nervous.
The return of Kareem Hunt
The Chiefs added their former and now current running back Kareem Hunt to the roster this week, meaning there’s a high chance he plays Sunday. It has been a long time coming for Hunt, who seemed to go through years of personal growth while playing in Cleveland.
The one thing to keep in mind is that Hunt is now 29 years old and has battled multiple injuries in his career. He won’t be the same player that he was in 2017-2018 with K.C. However, he probably doesn’t need to be—rookie RB Carson Steele was effective last week, meaning all Hunt needs to do is be a quality relief back who can take the burden off Steele for some plays, make some blocks on third downs and maybe even catch a couple of passes out of the backfield. He probably won’t go off for 100 yards, though it would be a nice moment to see him break off a big play or score at some point.
Still waiting on Kelce
Folks are beginning to get worried about Kelce, who has just eight catches for 69 yards through three games. I still wouldn’t worry too much since defenses typically key in on him, and receiver Rashee Rice (29 catches, 288 yards) is benefitting the most from that. However, it would be nice to see Kelce finally have a big game this season, if not for anything more than to silence the doubters. Luckily for him, James is out for the Chargers, meaning the competition will be that much weaker.
Benny & The ‘Buy-Ins’: Higher/Lower Picks for Chiefs at Chargers on Underdog Fantasy, by Ben Heisler
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 1-2
OVERALL RECORD: 4-5
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Travis Kelce - 4.5 receptions - HIGHER
It seems like all we’ve heard over the last week or so is that Kelce is some form of the following: broken, out-of-shape, washed, cooked (you get the point). He has just 12 targets and eight receptions for 69 yards this year; not so nice.
But, let’s shout out to our guy Nate Taylor from The Athletic and KCSN’s “Only Weird Games,” who highlighted that Kelce is actually the opposite of overcooked. In fact, he hasn’t had a chance to even heat up yet!
Kelce’s still on the field. A lot. Like 85 percent of snaps. And in the first three games, opposing defenses focused on him, leaving Rice as the primary beneficiary. The yards are awfully tempting at just 44.5, but for now, I’ll stay with the receptions as opposing defenses are still trying to have Mahomes not convert on the deep shot with a lot of zone coverage looks. The Chargers have also allowed the third-most receptions to tight ends so far in 2024, so expect that to climb again on Sunday.
Xavier Worthy: 0.5 rushing yards - HIGHER
I’ll play the numbers here, as Worthy has had a carry in all three games, going past this number in every one as well. It could be one carry, but consider the play design concepts and routes for Worthy so far this year, knowing that short and intermediate passes are what teams encourage the Chiefs to do, rather than have Mahomes (and perhaps Worthy) beat them deep.
There’s a reason the speedy Worthy has had a shot every game, and with the running game still in flux, this presents another worthwhile option.
Harrison Butker - 1.5 field goals made - HIGHER
Butker’s gone higher in all three games so far this season, with his only miss being an extra point.
Additionally, the Chargers have done well most of the season defending on third downs. Up until last week, teams had only converted an average of 4.2 third downs against L.A., and they’re also second in the NFL in red-zone scoring percentage this year (for touchdowns allowed).
Factor in good weather, two good defenses and the Chiefs as a touchdown favorite on the road, I anticipate we’ll see plenty of Butker in this one.
Chiefs-Chargers matchup history
The Chiefs have played the Chargers, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders exactly 127 times each. K.C. holds a 69-58-1 record over the Chargers all-time, dating back to 1960.
The last time the Chiefs and Chargers played…
The Chiefs beat L.A. 13-12 on January 7, 2024, despite both Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes sitting that game. Former backup QB Blaine Gabbert led the way, though the real hero was former Chiefs safety Mike Edwards who took an Easton Stick fumble 97 yards to the house for K.C.’s only touchdown that day. Kicker Harrison Butker did the rest of the work.
The best Chiefs-Chargers game ever was…
I’ll never let the Chargers live down the “the worst day/thing/play ever,” which was the 2011 Halloween game when legendary Chargers QB Philip Rivers fumbled a snap with a minute left in the game, allowing K.C. to earn a 23-20 win in overtime.
Chiefs-Chargers prediction, picks
This would probably be a close matchup if the Chargers were fully healthy, but that injury report for L.A. is no joke. Wait, who am I kidding? Knowing the Chiefs, it’ll still probably be a close game.
Will the Chiefs beat the Chargers?
The Chiefs should beat the Chargers, regardless of whether Herbert plays or not. The Chargers might actually have a better chance to win if Herbert doesn’t play considering he’s banged up. Either way, I think K.C.’s defense will do a good job limiting big plays, and should be able to generate a solid pass rush against a beat-up Chargers O-line.
Will the Chiefs cover the spread?
It’s a big one, so I probably wouldn’t put money on it considering the Chiefs love to allow teams to stay close. I’ll pick the Chiefs to cover, though, as the offense seems to be close to finding its groove.
Wes’ pick: Chiefs 27, Chargers 17