The Starting 11: Chiefs-Chargers Preview

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs kick off another unusual schedule when they open the season in Brazil Friday. They’ll also play on Thursdays and Mondays this season, after playing on a Saturday and Wednesday last year. Tuesday could be in their future.

It’s the first time since 2018, Patrick Mahomes’ first season as a full-time starter, that the Chiefs will open against a division opponent. That year, the Chiefs also left Kansas City to face the Chargers, a 38-28 win at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles.

“We look forward to the challenge of playing the Chargers,” head coach Andy Reid said Friday. “It's in Brazil. We look forward to traveling south there and having an opportunity to play internationally. It's quite a privilege.”

Here’s the Starting 11 for the Chiefs in Week 1…

1-International flavor

One of three clubs with an unblemished record and a minimum of three games outside the U.S., including the Vikings (4-0) and 49ers (3-0), Kansas City is 3-0 all-time in regular-season international games, all victories under Andy Reid. The Chiefs beat the Lions at Wembley Stadium in London, 45-10, in 2015, topped the Chargers at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, 24-17 in 2019, and denied the Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany, 21-14, in 2023.

That 3-0 mark doesn’t include the 2018 Mahomes MVP season, when the Chiefs and Rams were scheduled to meet in Mexico City but the NFL relocated the game to the L.A. Coliseum because the field at Estadio Azteca wasn’t up to standard. Jared Goff and the Rams won in a Monday night shootout, 54-51.

Rashard Fenton — Nov 18, 2019; Mexico City, MEX; Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Rashad Fenton (27) intercepts a pass intended for Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Andre Patton (16) in the fourth quarter during an NFL International Series game at Estadio Azteca. The Chiefs defeated the Chargers 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

2-Number of the Week (17)

Andy Reid’s 17 career season-opening wins are first among active head coaches. He’s 17-9 (.654) in his career on Kickoff Weekend. Reid begins his 27th season as an NFL head coach, after 14 at the reins of the Eagles (1999-2012) and the past 12 (2013-24) in Kansas City.

3- Reid against Harbaugh family

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has won all five of his Week 1 games as an NFL head coach, including 2011-14 with San Francisco, and last season’s 22-10 win over the Raiders in his Chargers debut. He’s one of four active head coaches (Nick Sirianni is 4-0, Mike McDaniel is 3-0 and Mike Macdonald 1-0) without a Week 1 loss in his career.

Harbaugh’s brother John, a former assistant on Reid’s staff with the Eagles, is 12-5 over his head-coaching career in Week 1 games.

Overall against both Jim and John Harbaugh, Reid is 9-3, including postseason. He’s 7-2 against John Harbaugh (one loss with both the Eagles and Chiefs) and 2-1 against Jim Harbaugh (a 2014 loss to the 49ers and two wins last year).

4-Spotlight – individual matchup

All eyes will be on Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh Simmons in his NFL debut. His first assignment is Khalil Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowler and 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mack, 34, has 107½ career sacks, fifth among active players behind Von Miller, Cam Jordan, Calais Campbell and T.J. Watt. Mack has nine career sacks against the Chiefs.

5-Spotlight – team matchup

Each defense finished last season ranked in the NFL’s top four in points allowed. The Chargers (17.7) allowed the fewest points in the league while Kansas City gave up just 19.2, fourth in the NFL.

Since the beginning of 2023, the Chiefs rank first in the league in that category, allowing just 18.2 points per game.

What’s more, both the Chargers (first at 45.0 percent) and Chiefs (eighth at 51.9 percent) were among the league’s best defenses in lowest red-zone touchdown percentage last season.

6-Streak speak

Andy Reid has won seven consecutive games against the Chargers, but it’s not his longest streak against the franchise as Chiefs head coach. The Chargers swept Reid in his first season at Kansas City’s reins, 2013, but he answered with nine straight wins until Los Angeles broke the streak with a 29-28 win at Arrowhead Stadium in 2018.

Overall as an NFL head coach, Reid is 21-6 (.778) against the Chargers franchise.

7-Did you know?

Chargers inside linebacker Daiyan Henley and Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks played on the same defense in 2022 at Washington State. Henley and Hicks finished 1-2, respectively, on the team in tackles and each had one interception.

Three Chiefs defenders, Jerry Tillery, Drue Tranquill and Kristian Fulton, played previously for the Chargers.

Dec 17, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Zane Pope (2) is stopped by Washington State Cougars defensive back Jaden Hicks (25) after a pass reception in the second half of the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

8-Under-the-radar storyline

Travis Kelce’s ability to gain yards after the catch is an important element in Friday’s game. Last season, the Chargers allowed only 1,734 yards after the catch. Only Washington (1,581) and Philadelphia (1,627) gave up fewer in 2024. Kelce, meanwhile, had a career-low 341 last year.

In the preseason finale against Chicago, Kelce took a short pass and turned it into a 12-yard gain, moving the chains and proving that he might be able to reverse that trend this season. But the Chargers are one of the league’s best tackling teams.

Since entering the league in 2013, Kelce’s 5,715 yards after the catch leads the NFL, more than 1,000 better than the next-closest player in that span, Alvin Kamara (4,547).

9-Trend time

Patrick Mahomes is 35-5 in his career against AFC West teams, an .875 winning percentage against his own division. That’s a big reason why the Chiefs have captured nine straight division crowns, the second-longest stretch of division championships ever by an NFL team. New England (11 from 2009-19) holds the record.

10-Rookie road

Simmons leads a convoy of Chiefs rookies expected to play their first NFL games on Friday. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte, cornerback Nohl Williams, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa running back Brashard Smith and linebacker Cooper McDonald – the team’s lone undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster -- should see their first regular-season professional snaps. Second-round defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (ankle) and fourth-round wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) are uncertain.

11-And last but not least

Seven of the last eight Chargers-Chiefs games have been decided by one-score or less. Eight-or-fewer points have separated the teams over that stretch, one of the tightest division series currently in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Kansas City has won an NFL-record 17 consecutive one-score games, including postseason. The streak began in 2023 (five games) and continued through 2024 (11 regular-season wins and the 2024 AFC championship victory over Buffalo).

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