This Thursday night showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers will be a good one, it will decide the AFC West. Here are my predictions for this primetime matchup.
The 9-4 Chiefs are ready to battle the 8-5 Chargers in a divisional battle that is set to be an electrifying game. Each team has a chance to take full control of the AFC West and be in the driver seat for the rest of the season heading into the playoffs. Here are my thoughts on the game and what I predict to happen in this upcoming dual at SoFi Stadium.
Offense
The offense is coming off the second-best performance they have had this year as a unit. Even though Mahomes only threw for 258 yards, the offense moved the ball very well and he took his chances downfield, which this offense thrives off of. Although the passing game is a strong point of this offense, the rushing game looked solid last Sunday and I expect them to do the same this week against a LA team that has one of the worse rush defenses in the league.
I expect Edwards-Helaire to have a big night running for 80 plus yards and two touchdowns on the ground. With teams playing two high safeties and eliminating the big plays, Mahomes has been using his check downs more to move the ball upfield and we all should expect Edwards-Helaire and Williams to be effective in the passing game Thursday night. My final predictions for the offense include Mahomes throwing for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions along with a total of 120 yards rushing with two touchdowns on the ground as well.
Defense
The Kansas City Chiefs defense has been the focal point of the recent success and the reason they have been successful during this streak. Coming off yet another dominating performance in Las Vegas, this matchup is will be one of the toughest tests they had throughout this winning streak. Going up against an up-and-coming superstar in Justin Herbert, KC plans to ruin his night in LA as they will focus on pressuring this young QB and making it a long night for him.
The success of the defense starts with the four-man front that has been as dominant as any other unit in the league. With Jones being put on the Covid list and his status for the game in doubt, Spagnuola will still depend on his defensive line to set up the success for the entire unit. They will need to have a solid game from the edge rushers as they will need to stop up in the absence of Chris Jones.
The Chiefs’ secondary had a great performance against the Raiders, even though L’Jarius Sneed was out, and this week they are going up against a great wide receiver unit in Los Angeles. I expect them to keep the pressure up and make the wide receivers of the Chargers fight for every jump ball and scratch for yards after the catch. If the front 7 can continue to make the opposing QB uncomfortable, we should expect another two-plus turnover night for this defense and leave the game yet another low-scoring outing for the opposing team. My final prediction for this Chiefs’ defense is for Melvin Ingram to have 1.5 sacks, four QB pressures, and force fumble making it a rough night for Herbert. Also, I predict a total of three turnovers, with Tyrann getting another pick and “Dirty” Dan Sorenson striking again with a pick-six.
This Thursday night showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers is set to be a matchup to remember. With Kansas City trying to go for their seventh straight win, the Chargers will make it as tough as possible.
My final score prediction in this AFC West Showdown is 34-20 with the Chiefs coming out on top and having another complete game as a unit.
