The Chiefs were able to get back on track with big 24-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City. In a game where the offense struggled, the Chiefs defense got the job done to improve their record 7-4 going into the bye week.
Here are five takeaways from the victory over the Chargers:
Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu proved their worth
Clark and Mathieu were both dominant at their respective positions and should be given a lot of credit for the victory.
Mathieu’s contributions were huge, especially early in the game, getting the Chiefs their second interception of the night and returning it to the Chargers’ 6-yard line. The interception would set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown, which was important considering how the offense struggled to move the ball during certain points of the game. If Mathieu hadn’t returned the ball on the interception, the Chiefs might never have made it into the end zone before the second half.
Clark had his best game as a Chief. He lived in the Chargers backfield and had a sack, a forced fumble, a pass deflection and multiple quarterback hits. He also deserves some credit for Derrick Nnadi’s interception. Clark had been battling a neck injury, so Monday night showed that Clark was over the injury, or it was at least not affecting him as much as it was earlier in the season.
The large contracts Kansas City paid in the offseason feel a little more worth it now, and Clark and Mathieu will need to continue the great play to keep the defense performing well.
Rashad Fenton should keep starting in place of Kendall Fuller
Fenton, who has been impressive the past several weeks, got his first NFL interception at a crucial point of the game. The Chiefs were only up by a touchdown with less than five minutes in the game, and Fenton made the big play to put the offense back onto the field and run out some more clock. He also had three tackles and another pass defended on the night.
Since replacing the injured Fuller, Fenton has been one of the better players in the secondary and has even outperformed Fuller in the position in his short time as a starter. It may be time to consider keeping the rookie as the starter even when Fuller returns, which will probably be after this week’s bye. This may allow for Fuller to play outside the numbers, where Fuller actually had better numbers in 2018. It will be interesting to see what Steve Spagnuolo does, but it would be a mistake to send Fenton back to the bench after he played at a high level the last few weeks.
Travis Kelce is going to be one the greatest to ever play
Kelce sometimes goes under the radar with all the weapons on the Chiefs offense, but games like Monday’s show he is one of the best tight ends ever. Kelce reached 6,000 yards and 450 receptions in fewer games than any other tight end in history. It’s safe to say if he keeps up this type of production for several more years he will be going into Canton after he retires.
The greatest thing about Kelce is that he is consistently good. He has only gone over 100 yards receiving once this season, but he hasn’t had a game with less than 44 yards. He is always near the top in receptions for the Chiefs and tight ends across the league. That shows just how reliable he is and how much quarterback Patrick Mahomes trusts him.
That trust was on display Monday when Kelce took over for Tyreek Hill as the No. 1 pass catcher, grabbing the Chiefs’ only receiving touchdown, after Hill left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Kelce is still capable of taking over games when needed.
Charvarius Ward is playing his best football
It’s been a long journey for Ward considering some were calling for him to be cut or benched at the beginning of the season. He’s been playing some great football as the season has progressed. Ward is tied for first for interceptions with Mathieu along with having a forced fumble and six pass deflections on the season.
The biggest improvement Ward has made this season is his ability to make plays on the ball, which can be credited to the defensive staff making time for Ward to work one-on-one on his ball skills. It’s clear that Ward has benefited from the extra work, and if he continues to play at this level, he could be a surprise Pro Bowl pick.
If he continues to play well, the Chiefs can have a reliable secondary in the future with Fenton looking to be a great addition along with the solid play from Mathieu and Juan Thornhill.
Don’t worry about the offense
The offense had a rough game against the Chargers, but there isn’t any reason to worry. The Chiefs were without their best offensive player in Hill, who has a history of torching the Chargers, so he was definitely missed. It was clear that the offense was trying to go deep to Hill early, so when he left in the first quarter the game plan went out the door.
This was also the first week where all five of the starting offensive lineman played, so this may have been a game where they are trying to get used to playing with each other after having multiple different lineups the last nine weeks. It also didn’t help that they were facing two of the league’s top pass rushers, Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, who are capable of slowing down any offense in the NFL.
I don’t believe the Chiefs will lose games because of their offense. They are just too good with a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and a future Hall of Fame coach in Andy Reid. Those two together should be able to get the job done offensively against any team in the NFL, so I wouldn’t be too worried about the offense even though they had a rough game against the Chargers. I will be expecting the offense to be more comfortable with each other and be dominant after their bye week.
