The San Diego Chargers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs at StubHub Center for the third game of the season. The Chiefs got out of the gate very quickly, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 14 -0 lead. Than it turned into a defensive battle for the rest of the game until Kareem Hunt ripped off a 69 yard touchdown run with a minute to go in the game to secure the victory.
Offense
The Chief’s offense was a good mixture of run and pass that enabled them to get to a two touchdown lead. Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith completed 16 out of 21 passes thrown for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Hunt carried the ball 17 times for 172 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 10 yards a carry. The leading receiver for Kansas City was Tyreek Hill who had 5 receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Smith received spotty protection from the O-line and was sacked 5 times.
Chargers’ quarterback Philips Rivers completed 20 passes out of 40 attempts for 237 yards, but no touchdowns and was intercepted three times. Running Back Melvin Gordon rushed 17 times for 79 yards and a touchdown. Rivers was not able to throw a touchdown pass against a very solid Chiefs secondary. Chargers’ wide receiver Travis Benjamin had five receptions for 105 yards and no touchdowns.
Defense
The Chiefs played a very solid and consistent game against the Chargers. Kansas City only had two sacks, and as mentioned above, intercepted Rivers three times. Cornerback Terrance Mitchell had nine solo tackles and safety Daniel Sorensen had eight total tackles; six were solo.
The Chargers defense started off spotty in the first quarter, giving up 14 points. Then, as they got into the flow of the game, they were able to make some adjustments and played a solid defense for the rest of the game. They had a total of five sacks. Linebacker Melvin Ingram had three of the sacks and six solo tackles and linebacker Jatavis Brown had a total of 10 tackles, six solo.
Coach’s final words
Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid said, “ All in all it was a good game. The turnovers on their side allowed us to get in early scores. I thought our defense played well. They came up with some big interceptions.”
Work
The Chiefs were had 13 penalties for 122 yards. They need to show more discipline, as that many penalties will eventually lead to a loss in future games. The Chiefs also need to improve their pass protection for Smith. He has been sacked nine times in the last two games.
Injuries
In the fourth quarter, linebacker Dee Ford left with a hip injury and wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas left the game due to a shoulder injury. It is unclear at this time the severity of either of the injuries.
Up Next
The Chiefs return home next week when they host the Washington Redskins on Monday, October 2nd at Arrowhead Stadium. Let’s go 4-0! Go Chiefs Kingdom!
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