After a dominating win on Sunday over the Raiders, which Chiefs will continue to impress into Thursday Night?
The Kansas City defense was firing on all cylinders against Las Vegas. Seven seconds into the game, they had put points on the board. The offense was able to march down the field and score with ease throughout the rest of the game.
Justin Herbert had his way the last time the Chiefs and Chargers faced off as he tossed four touchdown passes and had 281 passing yards. The Chiefs’ ground game was a huge factor in their last matchup. As a team, they ran for 186 yards, including a 100-yard performance from Clyde Edwards-Helaire. This was a game that went down to the wire with the Chargers coming out on top.
Melvin Ingram
One of the most impactful midseason trades in recent history was when the Chiefs sent a sixth-round pick to the Steelers for Ingram. He has been a key turning point on the Kansas City defense by being able to coincide effectively alongside Chris Jones on the Chiefs front seven.
The stats speak for themselves. Since Ingram arrived, the Chiefs have boasted one of the best defenses in the league giving up only a combined 27 points in their past three outings.
If Chris Jones is forced to miss Thursday night’s contest after being placed on the Covid-19/reserve list Ingram will have all eyes on him to be a difference-maker. With the Chargers’ rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater being placed on the Covid-19/reserve list as well, watch for Ingram to try and wreak havoc for Justin Herbert.
Travis Kelce
After a blazing hot start within the Chiefs’ offense where Kelce posted 289 yards and three touchdowns through three games, he’s slowed down the past two weeks putting up 27 yards in both contests.
Look for Kelce to get on track this week against the Chargers. The last time the two teams faced off, he had seven catches for 104 yards. Following his record-breaking 2020 campaign, he has slowed down this season under his standards. There are four games left in the season giving Kelce more than enough time to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving on the season.
The Chargers are one of the worst teams in the league at defending the rush. There’s a chance the Chiefs choose to try and establish Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the ground which could open up passing lanes for Mahomes to target. Expect Kelce to get involved early in this prime-time matchup.
Mike Hughes
Once Bashaud Breeland left the Chiefs this past offseason to head up north to Minnesota, who knew that Kansas City would end up replacing him with a former first-round pick in Mike Hughes? It’s been tough as a Chiefs fan to watch Breeland blossom for the Vikings this season. However, I think Hughes is just scratching the surface of how good he can be.
After playing a lot at the beginning of the season, he saw a decrease in playing time due to giving up several big plays on defense. This past week with the absence of L’Jarius Sneed, Hughes stepped up and forced two huge fumbles showing that he deserves more snaps within the defense. He has now forced four fumbles on the season.
If Hughes continues to gain more opportunities, I think the sky’s the limit for him especially if he is able to stay healthy and on the field when his number is called upon. His snap count for Thursday night’s game isn’t certain, but look for him to make the most of his chances when he steps on the field at SoFi Stadium.
