Four Takeaways From the KC Chiefs' 31-17 Win Over the LA Chargers
The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers have clashed in some thrilling meetings in the past, and Sunday afternoon's game was a game circled on many calendars entering the season. In this year's Week 7 matchup, both teams were tied after the first quarter and exploded for 35 combined points in the second frame. The second half was a lower-scoring affair, albeit one that allowed the home team to emerge with a victory.
On the heels of their 31-17 win, the Chiefs have won six games in a row since dropping their season opener against the Detroit Lions. Patrick Mahomes and company continue to stack wins together, also notching their fourth consecutive over the Chargers. Kansas City cracked the 30-point mark for the second time this year and will soon shift focus to a Week 8 showdown with the Denver Broncos. But first...
Here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.
Appreciate Travis Kelce's greatness while you can
In Weeks 2-5, his first four games of the 2023 season, something was off with Travis Kelce. Don't get it twisted: Kansas City's star tight end was still a key contributor on offense and was doing a fine job. With that said, he wasn't putting up typical Kelce-like numbers as he worked his way back from a knee injury and then suffered an ankle injury at the tail end of that stretch. With that ankle heavily taped last week against the Broncos, however, he snapped all the way out of his funk and delivered a nine-catch, 124-yard performance. On Sunday, he was even better.
Kelce was otherworldly in the first half of Week 7, hauling in nine passes in the first half and adding 143 yards. Both of those were career-bests for the opening two frames of a game. Per Chiefs Communications, the nine first-half receptions were good for the third-most in that scenario in franchise history. In all, the future Hall of Fame pass catcher totaled 12 receptions for 179 yards and also had a touchdown in the process. Kelce is all the way back, even at 34 years old. It's important to take a step back and recognize what he's (still) accomplishing. It's rare.
Patrick Mahomes filled up the stat sheet, too
With the inconsistent performance of the Chiefs' wide receiver room, Kelce's aforementioned injuries and a pair of new starting offensive tackles, there's been a lot for Patrick Mahomes to overcome this season. He hasn't been perfect in his own right, although some of the team's offensive struggles haven't necessarily been in his control. The results have been four of six games with a passer rating under 100, as well as some ugly turnovers from the quarterback. There was indeed another rough interception thrown on Sunday but outside of that, Mahomes was excellent.
Like Kelce, Mahomes did a large chunk of his damage in the first half. Completing 20 of his 23 pass attempts for 321 yards and a trio of touchdowns, the 28-year-old was making plays from the pocket and also extending multiple plays with his legs. His creativity was on full display, with a variety of arm and body angles being utilized. Mahomes looked more comfortable and mechanically sound on Sunday, finishing with 424 yards in total and stringing together some successful plays. Things slowed down for the whole offense in the second half, but this was a very positive performance from Kansas City's superstar signal-caller.
The Chiefs' defense got tested but ultimately passed once again
As the Chiefs' offense has gotten off to a slow start this season, it's been Steve Spagnuolo's defense that has dominated opponents this year. Holding top 10 rankings in stats such as EPA per play, opposing points per drive, scoring and the like, Kansas City has stifled most of the teams it has faced in 2023. Things looked like they were headed down a very dark path after the Chargers logged 233 total net yards, averaged 7.3 yards per play and scored 17 points in the first half, but the defense improved coming out of the break and rebounded relatively well.
In the second half, Los Angeles was nowhere near as dominant on offense. Going 2-for-7 on third down and averaging 4.3 yards per play, even quarterback Justin Herbert wasn't enough to bring the team back within striking distance down the stretch. Contributors such as Bryan Cook, Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna and others stepped up for the Chiefs when needed, which has been a theme of this season. Even when things aren't going perfectly on defense, the players rise to the occasion and help bring home a win. There was no greater example of that than Sunday's game.
Kansas City's AFC West outlook is even brighter
Entering Week 7's play, the Chiefs had a two-win lead over the second-place Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC West due to the disparity between the clubs' 5-1 and 3-3 records. With the Raiders losing in the early afternoon slate, that gave Kansas City an opportunity to expand that lead to three full games with a victory over the Chargers. That part got taken care of, and Andy Reid's squad also created some more space between itself and Los Angeles in the late afternoon window.
With the Chargers dropping to 2-4 on the year and the Denver Broncos getting off to such a dreadful start to the season, it's hard to see either team making a serious run at enough wins to catch Kansas City. The Raiders likely fit into the same category, especially considering the concerns surrounding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's durability and Las Vegas' defense. The Chiefs still have room to improve despite being 6-1, which should be a scary thought for the rest of the division. Before Halloween, the AFC West race has one participant — the same one that has dominated the annual competition in years past — with one heck of a lead.
