LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2-3) at KANSAS CITY (5-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Chiefs by 5 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Los Angeles 2-3; Kansas City 4-2.
SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 67-58-1.
LAST WEEK: Chargers lost to Cowboys 20-17; Chiefs beat Broncos 19-8.
CHARGERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (18), PASS (5), SCORING (7).
CHARGERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (14), PASS (32), SCORING (23).
CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (11), PASS (2), SCORING (9).
CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (12), PASS (6), SCORING (2).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Chargers plus-5; Chiefs even.
CHARGERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Austin Ekeler was bottled up by the Cowboys last week, running 14 times for just 27 yards. It was his first game back since missing four games to an ankle injury that Ekeler sustained in the opener, when he ran 16 times for 117 yards and a touchdown against Miami.
CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Charles Omenihu is expected to play for the first time after serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy. The Chiefs signed him to a two-year, $16 million contract in the offseason to provide some pass rush off the edge. He was productive during preseason games, which he was still allowed to play in, and now the Chiefs get to see what their already tough defense can do with him in a game that counts.
KEY MATCHUP: Chargers QB Justin Herbert against the Chiefs pass defense, which is ranked sixth in the NFL and a big reason why they have the No. 2 ranked scoring defense. Herbert was just 22 of 37 for 227 yards with two touchdowns and a pick last week against Dallas, and he wasn’t a whole lot better the prior game, when he was 13 of 24 for 167 yards with a touchdown and a pick against Las Vegas. The Chiefs pass defense just held Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson to 95 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions last week.
KEY INJURIES: Chargers safeties Alohi Gilman and Raheem Layne did not practice this week, nor did defensive back Deane Leonard. Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson is unlikely to play after bruising his elbow last week against Denver.
SERIES NOTES: The Chiefs have won three straight in the series with their most recent loss coming on Sept. 26, 2021, at Arrowhead Stadium. Those three wins included an overtime thriller in 2021 and two games last season that were decided by just three points. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 7-3 against the Chargers and coach Andy Reid is 15-5 against them.
STATS & STUFF: The Chargers had five sacks from four different players in their loss to the Cowboys. That gave them 21 on the season, which is tied for third in the league going into Week 7. … Los Angeles has had at least four sacks in four straight games, the longest streak by any Chargers defense since 1964-65. … Chargers DL Morgan Fox has had sacks in four consecutive games, which is tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL. Chiefs DT Chris Jones has at least a sack in his past five. … Chargers OLB Khalil Mack is tied for third in the NFL with seven sacks this season. … Kansas City has won five straight games, and has had at least one five-game win streak in each of the past 11 seasons. … Mahomes passed Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson for first in franchise history with 2,138 completions during last week’s win over the Broncos. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had 109 of his 124 yards receiving in the first half last week against Denver. … Jones set a franchise record with a sack in each of his first five games this season. His current streak of eight regular-season games with a sack trails only his 11-game run in 2018 for the longest in Chiefs history. … Chiefs S Justin Reid had a sack, five tackles, one pass defensed and an interception last week against Denver. … K Harrison Butker set a Chiefs record with 14 field goals without a miss in the first six games of a season. Morten Andersen had 13 in 2002.
FANTASY TIP: The Chargers have been tougher against the pass than the run this season, so it could be a good week for Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco. While he has topped 100 yards rushing in a game just once this season, he has had at least 15 carries in each of the past four. And he complemented 16 carries for 62 yards last week by catching six passes for 36 yards.
