The Kansas City Chiefs will look to stick in the win column this Sunday as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in their first divisional matchup of the year.
Here are five things to keep in mind heading into game day.
1. Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams.
The only injury of note for Kansas City is defensive end Mike Danna, who won't play on Sunday due to a calf injury.
Additionally, running back Kareem Hunt will be available on Sunday after signing with Kansas City last week. Hunt, who initially joined the practice squad on September 17, was elevated to the active roster earlier this week.
"I thought he had a good week of practice last week," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "He took the majority of the scout team reps, and it looks like he's in pretty good shape. Now, the next step is just getting him in the game. He'll rotate in and we'll see how he does."
As for the Chargers, their injury report is significant. Offensively, Los Angeles will be without starting left tackle Rashawn Slater (pectoral) on Sunday, and starting right tackle Joe Alt (knee) is listed as "Questionable." Quarterback Justin Herbert is also listed as "Questionable" as he continues to deal with an ankle injury. Herbert, who originally suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2, appeared to re-aggravate the injury last week and left the game early. So, even if Herbert plays, his status will be something to monitor throughout the game.
Defensively, Los Angeles will not have edge rusher Joey Bosa due to a hip injury. Bosa is among the best pass-rushers in the NFL, and his absence is a major blow to the Chargers' pass-rush. The secondary will be missing a key piece, too, as safety Derwin James is suspended for Sunday's game. Starting cornerbacks Kristian Fulton (knee) and Ja'Sir Taylor (fibula) are also at risk of missing the game with "Questionable" designations heading into Sunday.
It's a lengthy injury report, but regardless of some significant losses for the Chargers, the Chiefs' preparation remained the same according to Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
"We'll see who they put out there, but to us, it doesn't matter," Spagnuolo said. "We're going to defend the scheme and try to play our best football."
2. The Chargers have embraced a run-first identity on offense.
Los Angeles' offense is coordinated by Greg Roman, who is best known as the architect of the high-powered running games deployed by the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14) and Baltimore Ravens (2019-22) in recent years. Roman is now in charge of Los Angeles' offensive scheme, and his general philosophy has remained the same.
In fact, the Chargers have thrown the football at the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL through three games this season (44.5%). Additionally, Los Angeles has elected to run the ball on first down at the third-highest rate in the league (66.7%) behind only Green Bay (77.5%) and Pittsburgh (68.4%).
The scheme has mostly worked, too, behind the efforts of veteran tailback J.K. Dobbins, who currently ranks third in the NFL with 310 rushing yards. Dobbins, who is averaging a ridiculous 7.4 yards-per-carry on the year, was particularly effective through the Chargers' first two games of the season. He topped at least 130 rushing yards in each, tallying multiple runs of double-digit yardage and at least four broken tackles in both contests.
Last week against Pittsburgh, however, was a different story. The Steelers held Dobbins to just 44 rushing yards on 15 attempts, and as a result, the Chargers' offense failed to pick up a first down on five of their nine offensive possessions.
It's all to say that containing Dobbins is one of the major keys for the Chiefs' defense on Sunday, and fortunately, Kansas City has done an excellent job of limiting opposing running backs so far this season. Opposing tailbacks have combined to average just 3.3 yards-per-carry against Kansas City through three games, and looking at last week specifically, Falcons' tailback Bijan Robinson averaged just 1.9 yards-per-carry on 16 attempts.
A similar effort on Sunday would go a long way toward another Kansas City victory.
3. Los Angeles owns the No. 3 scoring defense in the NFL.
The Chargers have allowed an average of just 11 points-per-game this year, which ranks third in the NFL. Los Angeles has also yielded the fewest red zone drives in the league (5) and the second-fewest first downs of any team (41).
Los Angeles' top playmaker this year has unsurprisingly been edge rusher Khalil Mack, who leads the Chargers in pressures (9), quarterback hits (4) and sacks (2.5).
Kansas City didn't yield a sack last week and moved the ball effectively, driving into Falcons' territory on six of nine total possessions, but the primary reason the game came down to the wire was due to the Chiefs' struggles in the red zone. Kansas City is just 4-for-9 in the red zone in terms of touchdown efficiency this year, so improving in that area will be a priority on Sunday and beyond.
4. Chiefs' wide receiver Rashee Rice is off to a great start.
Through Week 3, Rice leads the NFL in receptions (24), yards after-the-catch (185) and broken tackles after-the-catch (8) while ranking second in receiving yards (288). For reference, at this point last year, Rice had only 10 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
He topped those numbers in just last Sunday's game alone with 12 grabs for 110 yards and a score, and through three weeks, Rice is one of only three players (joining Nico Collins and CeeDee Lamb) to tally 100+ yards in multiple games so far.
"He's just making plays," said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "I think you've seen that he's been more versatile this year. He's [had the opportunity] to run more and more routes. Then, the way he's able to catch the ball and make stuff happen after the catch [is impressive]. He's a hard guy to tackle. Being able to do both of those things [is important, and] I think it helps that the speed out there is kind of helping spread out the field for him. There's a lot of attention on [tight end] Travis [Kelce, too], and when [Rice is] getting those one-on-one matchups, he's winning, and that's all you can ask for a guy. He seems like he's getting better and better each and every week."
5. Kansas City has been tremendous vs. divisional opponents in recent years.
It's no secret that the Chiefs have dominated the AFC West over the last several years. Kansas City has won eight consecutive division titles, and in that time, the Chiefs are 41-7 vs. divisional opponents. Patrick Mahomes, specifically, is 30-5 against AFC West opponents in his career, which includes a 17-1 mark on the road.
That past success doesn't guarantee anything for Sunday's game, but it does demonstrate a clear pattern of preparation for divisional matchups. The Chiefs dedicate entire practices to AFC West opponents in the spring, and once again, they'll have an opportunity to put that preparation to the test on Sunday as Kansas City takes on the Chargers in Los Angeles.
