INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Regardless of the opponent, regardless of the park at the agenda, regardless of who’s in uniform for the opponent, lots of the Kansas Town Chiefs remind themselves, as they did Sunday towards the Los Angeles Chargers, in their burden, as cliched because it sounds.
“We’re going to get the best from everybody.”
Teacher Andy Reid stated it in now not such a lot of phrases. So did quarterback Patrick Mahomes, linebacker Drue Tranquill or even operating again Samaje Perine, who joined the Chiefs a life in the past, next the Chiefs’ 17-10 victory, their fourth one-score win in as many weeks to start the season.
“I just remember as a player with the Chargers that you were juiced up to play the Chiefs,” stated Tranquill, who spent 4 seasons with the Chargers. “Any time the Chiefs came to town or we went to Arrowhead (Stadium), it was like, ‘This is a big freaking game!’ You felt it, something a little more.”
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The Chargers embodied this sort of group Sunday at SoFi Stadium, even with out a few of their best possible avid gamers, together with edge rusher Joey Bosa (hip), left take on Rashawn Slater (pectoral), protection Derwin James Jr. (one-game abeyance) and rookie proper take on Joe Alt (knee). Plus, quarterback Justin Herbert, who performed thru a grand ankle sprain, struggled along with his mobility when he had a blank area.
But the Chargers (2-2) performed in addition to they may’ve was hoping within the first quarter. They constructed a 10-point top by means of capitalizing on two giveaways from the Chiefs, a fumble by means of rookie fullback Carson Steele and an overthrown cross by means of Mahomes that was once intercepted.
Chargers intercept Mahomes and nearly fumble it away!
: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
: pic.twitter.com/2An4So367O— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
Even worse than the scoreboard on the generation was once how Mahomes’ handover ended. Occasion cornerback Kristian Fulton was once returning the ball close the Chiefs’ sideline, he was once being chased by means of Rashee Rice, Kansas Town’s important receiver. Rice’s proper leg was once twisted backward when he bumped into Mahomes, who was once the usage of his proper shoulder in an effort to take on Fulton.
Inside mins, Rice was once carted to the storage room, his fingers and a towel overlaying his face.
“Rashee made a really good play,” Mahomes stated. “I was trying to tackle the guy and obviously rolled up on him. If I just don’t turn the ball over, that never happens. I know Rashee and how tough he is. Him being down like that, I knew it wasn’t good. All we can do is pray that the X-rays and MRIs are better than what it looked.”
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Rice will go through an MRI of his knee on Monday morning. Consistent with a group supply, the Chiefs worry that Rice tore his ACL, an trauma that will finish his season. Coming into Sunday’s tournament, Rice led the Chiefs with 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Reid stated. “I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want. The guys all hung together and they feel terrible for Rashee because he’s having a fantastic year.”
Rashee Rice seems inconsolable as he’s carted away pic.twitter.com/KD8rgo28Oz
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) September 29, 2024
Halfway thru the second one quarter, Mahomes discovered himself in a huddle with a bunch of skill-position avid gamers he couldn’t have expected simply six weeks in the past — tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Grey, operating backs Kareem Hunt and Perine, and a receiver corps of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and rookie Xavier Significance.
This was once now not the offense the Chiefs projected to be prior to the season started. However the Chiefs had been with out veteran receiver Marquise Brown (left shoulder), operating again Isiah Pacheco (proper fibula) and Rice.
It’s going to put together it that a lot more difficult for the Chiefs to live to tell the tale each group’s best possible shot. However now others be able to step up like Significance did simply prior to halftime Sunday.
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Mahomes and Significance got enough of generation from the offensive form to attach at the longest connection of the season, a 54-yard landing.
“On the sideline, I told Pat, probably around the first quarter, ‘If we get this play call, I’m going to stutter a little bit (in the middle of my fly route),’” Significance stated. “It worked. It worked out just like that, which is crazy.”
Xavier Significance doing his factor.
: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
: pic.twitter.com/s1k5ygK0ET— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
The Chargers’ secondary gave Significance a cushion of 8 yards prior to the play games began. Significance, who ran the 40-yard sprint on the mix in a document 4.21 seconds, nonetheless sprinted presen two defenders, Fulton and protection Alohi Gilman, prior to catching the ball in spite of everything zone. The ball traveled 62.2 yards within the breeze, Mahomes’ longest finishing touch by means of breeze distance of his eight-year profession, and Significance reached a lead velocity of 21.46 mph, the third-fastest by means of a ball service within the league this season, in line with Then Gen Stats.
“When it happens and it works in a game, it’s just a lot of fun,” proper take on Jawaan Taylor stated of the landing. “Momentum definitely changed.”
Occasion the Chiefs offense wanted generation to regulate next Rice’s trauma, the protection, led by means of cross rusher Chris Jones, started attacking the Chargers’ offensive form to disrupt Herbert. The Chargers had 4 possessions in the second one quarter. They punted 4 occasions.
“Early on, we’re trying to figure out what they’re trying to do,” Tranquill stated. “They did a lot of motions, they were able to get yardage on screen plays and they had a good game plan. As the game gets going, Spags (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is one of the best at feeling when he can call his shots, and we knew they were a little beat up on the O-line and there might be some communication and chemistry issues. We were able to take advantage of that.”
Then halftime, the Chargers’ best possible shot to regain the top got here early within the fourth quarter.
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However Spagnuolo and his avid gamers had been in a position to assemble every other snatch prevent deep within the pink zone. Chargers mentor Jim Harbaugh made up our minds to secure the offense at the grassland for a fourth-and-1 play games from the Chiefs’ 3-yard form. Jones beat alternative proper preserve Sam Mustipher to generate speedy drive on Herbert, who threw an incompletion, the ball nowhere near to a cross catcher in spite of everything zone.
“It’s not just one play that’s significant enough to affect the whole game, but I think there’s four or five plays that affected (this) game,” Jones stated. “I watch enough film where I can understand tendencies and then you’ve got to understand what the teams like to do in certain situations and formations.”
Jones ruled the form of scrimmage in the second one part. He completed with a season-high two sacks and 3 quarterback hits.
The Chargers additionally by no means moved the ball presen midfield once more. Jones sacked Herbert at the Chargers’ latter offensive snap on a third-and-11 play games with not up to 4 mins left.
“In my opinion, he’s the most dominant one-on-one pass rusher in the NFL,” Tranquill stated of Jones. “He can rush inside and outside and we’re trying every week to figure out how we can get him a one-on-one because his win rate is so high. When you get him a one-on-one, the quarterback is not going to have a lot of time.”
THE CEO STRIKES AGAIN @StoneColdJones pic.twitter.com/mDry7Ro1m2
— Kansas Town Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2024
Thru 4 video games, the Chiefs nonetheless have one of the vital league’s best possible defenses, even next buying and selling cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans within the offseason. The Chiefs have held their 4 fighters — the Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens — to 26 issues or fewer for a median of 18 issues consistent with tournament.
“It’s a testament to our coaches and (general manager Brett) Veach bringing in the right guys and Spags,” Jones stated. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for the work he puts in and the investment he makes in the players and to make sure they’re at their best and what he’s able to pull out of us.”
On one force within the fourth quarter, Mahomes and the remainder of the Chiefs offense controlled to do what was once essential to walk SoFi Stadium with every other win. Mahomes’ efficiency was once disjointed, however he engineered a game-winning landing force in simply 5 performs. The largest spotlight was once Mahomes’ 29-yard cross in the course of the grassland to Grey. The play games featured Kelce and rookie tight finish Jared Wiley blockading for Mahomes.
Perine made the game-winning rating on a 2-yard run into the top zone.
“It’s nothing different than the first three weeks,” Perine stated. “We’ve been doing this every week. I guess we know how to win.”
(Photograph of Chris Jones and Justin Herbert: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Pictures)
