Thursday Night Football Afterword: Chargers vs Chiefs

Thursday games this year have not offered much in the way
of competitive matchups, but the story lines are still there.

Things have not gone so well for the Chiefs. I figured if the Chiefs were going to win more than one game the rest of the way, they had to win this game. As Adam Schefter said last night, only half joking, Kansas City is “almost on the clock.”

I knew the Chiefs needed to establish a ground game to have success in San Diego and they failed to do so. Jamaal Charles had only 39 yards. This isn’t entirely his fault; his number was only called on 12 run plays. Meanwhile, Matt Cassel has nearly as many rushing yards on half the attempts.

Conversely, Ryan Mathews and Ronnie Brown, on the Chargers’ side, combined for over 100 yards on just 19 carries.

Perhaps most impressive, Philip Rivers was 18/20 just a few days after Alex Smith’s historic 18/19 outing against Arizona. Rivers threw for over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns as they pushed their division foe to 1-7 on the season.

Kansas City is the first team since 1929 to not hold a lead in regulation of any game through their first eight. The Chiefs forced overtime with a big comeback against New Orleans early in the season, ultimately beating them in the extra period.

Kansas City, after four more last night, has turned the ball over 29 times, averaging just shy of four per game.

But the game itself wasn’t really all that interesting. The score was just 10-6 entering the fourth quarter and Kansas City had a real chance of pulling it out. But their defense imploded under Rivers’ efficiency, allowing three touchdowns in the final quarter, adding just one of their own in the 31-13 loss that went from near miss to blowout loss in just fifteen minutes.

Things only look worse for the Chiefs as Romeo Crennel inches past Norv Turner on the hot seat. They face a so-so Carolina team, who I doubt will lose to the Chiefs, a hot-and-cold Browns team that will probably win at home, and the Raiders in Oakland. Those are the most likely candidates for a victory. The Chiefs may finish 1-15!

The Chargers needed this win. The Broncos have an easy final nine games, but if they lose to Cincinnati on Sunday, Norv & Co. are right back in the game, tied with Denver at the top of the division. The Broncos are unlikely to lose, but the important thing through the final half of the season is that they keep pace with the Broncos and secure a wild-card spot.

Thanks for reading everyone and enjoy the rest of Week 9. I’ll be back Monday with my Sunday Afterwords!