Chiefs Defense Short-Circuits Chargers, Escape With 24-17 Win

Chiefs Defense Short-Circuits Chargers, Escape With 24-17 Win – Tonight’s 24-17 win  — or should I say escape — over the Los Angeles Chargers leaves the Chiefs at 7-4 and still one game ahead in the AFC West. While not the blowout we all hoped for, it was a win on the road in prime time against a good football team. The Chargers are a much better team than their 4-7 record indicates, but the football gods have not been kind to Los Angeles this season. Monday night in Mexico was no exception.

The game had all the makings of another beat down of our defense in the beginning of the game, as Rivers marched the Chargers down the field, yet the Chiefs D held them to only three points. Add two more field goals plus a missed field goal, and the Chargers only managed 9 points in a first half where they had the ball over 2/3rds of the half. They could have just as easily hung 28 points on K.C..  Could have… but the Chiefs defense, was simply not having it.

Kansas City’s defense played its finest game of football this season last night, south of the Rio Grande. Not only did they hold the Chargers to under 100 yards rushing, they also picked off the Bolts QB Philip Rivers four times and recorded two sacks. There’s no mistaking that It was the Red and Gold’s defense who won last night’s game for the Chiefs.

Don’t get me wrong, the offense was not horrible, at least not in the second half. Patrick Mahomes had (for him) a mediocre night with just 182 yards passing, one touchdown, a rare INT, and finished the night with a 72.9% passer rating.  What he was unable to do through the air, he made up for in rushing with 60 yards on the night (minus the yard lost with the final kneel down). He was, in fact, the Chiefs leading rusher in Mexico.

Kelce was clutch as always nabbing seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. This was vital for the Chiefs since Tyreek Hill left in the first quarter with a strained hamstring. Kelce and Mahomes alone accounted for almost half of the 310 total yards of offense put up last night.

However, the game ball for last night’s victory goes to the defense. Four separate players, Mathieu, Fenton, Sorenson, and Nnadi, all had interceptions.  Frank Clark earned his paycheck recording a sack and forcing a fumble. Clark was so disruptive, one could argue that he spent more time in the Chargers backfield than did Rivers. But the hero of the night was Sorenson for his last-minute interception of an on-fire Rivers effortlessly leading the Chargers on what appeared to be a game-tying or possibly game-winning final drive.

Although I’m happy and grateful for the win, It was yet another game that the Chiefs played where they were not firing on all cylinders. We have yet to have a game where all facets, offense, defense, and special teams, all play lights out football. If they want to make it far into the postseason, this has to happen and soon.

Alas, enough bellyaching!  I’ll just act satisfied with our 7-and-4 record and hope that Coach Reid and his staff can use the well-deserved bye week to figure out a way to right a ship that may not be sinking, but is listing noticeably, and taking on water.

Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne

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