This week featured yet another game in which the Kansas City Chiefs came away with a hard-fought win. Despite the Los Angeles Chargers' lack of offense, they came out swinging. Thankfully, the Chiefs are used to this happening and were able to lock in and win.
Initially, a key fumble from Carson Steele allowed the Chargers to take control of the game. The Chiefs' defense followed their common theme this season by allowing 10 points in the first quarter and then silencing the offense until the end.
The Injury to Rice
In the first half of the game, stand-out wide receiver Rashee Rice was carted off the field. After tests, the team fears that Rice likely has a torn ACL that can cause him to miss the rest of the season.
Rice was a tremendous receiver for the Chiefs before he got hurt. He had a team-high 24 catches, 288 yards, and two touchdowns. No other receiver on the team provided that kind of assurance to Patrick Mahomes. Rice is still undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury, but either way, it doesn't sound too promising.
Losing Rice for the rest of the season would be a terrible loss despite the Chiefs starting 4-0. After already losing Marquise Brown for the season, the Chiefs lacked depth in the wide receiver room. This injury would complicate this depth even more and force the team to look to other teams and free agents for more support.
Defense, Again...
Keeping up with the Chiefs' defense hasn't been easy for any team so far, especially after the first quarter of games. Yet again, the defense was able to keep the offense in the game, giving them all of the time they needed to score enough to win.
After surrendering 10 points in the first quarter, the Chiefs' situation looked bleak. Herbert looked like he was rolling despite the high-ankle sprain he suffered in their last game. After the first quarter, the defense silenced the Chargers' momentum.
Each week, the Chiefs' defense looks like it gets even better. While they aren't ranked super high in defensive statistics, the eye test allows fans to see that without the defense, the team would not be 4-0. Their contributions on the field each week allow the offense to gain any momentum that it needs to win the game, and if other teams allow them to keep rolling like this, they will be unstoppable.
Rediscovering the Connection
It has not gone unnoticed that Travis Kelce hasn't been himself this season so far. For weeks now, there have been suspicions that Kelce's age was finally catching up to him, causing him to lose that spark that he has had throughout his career. This game proved that Kelce still has some gas left in the tank to give to the Chiefs this season.
Especially after Rice's injury, Kelce will need to step up to provide some consistency on the offensive side. For years, he has been Mahomes' right-hand receiver, and he will need to continue this trend if the Chiefs are going to have a shot at a three-peat.
In this contest, Kelce had 7 receptions for 89 yards, compared to his previous season-high of 3 receptions for 34 yards. It seems that his teammates wearing shirts in solidarity with his performance this season encouraged him to have his breakout game.
Always Finding A Way
Even with Rice's injury, the Chiefs were able to find a way on offense to win. Even with a mounting list of struggles so far this season, the Chiefs have found a way to win each time. The common theme in this week's contest was getting the ball in the hands of unlikely helpers.
When Isiah Pacheco got hurt, there was some doubt in the air about who would take on the rushing opportunities. Against the Chargers, the team elevated Kareem Hunt from the practice squad, giving him the chance to fill the void Pacheco left. Hunt finished with 14 carries for 69 yards.
Samaje Perine was another star in this game. Perine scored the game winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, despite being pretty quiet throughout the game. The Chiefs probably wouldn't have won the game without Perine's contributions. Now, with most of the starters being hurt, the team is going to need to rely on players like Perine to step up.
Up Next: New Orleans Saints
Next week, the Chiefs will host the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. The Saints are coming off of two close losses after two blowout wins. Their offense has been imposing so far this season, which might be hard for the Chiefs defense to overcome.
Their defense, however, is not as strong and will allow the Chiefs to continue rolling after a promising performance in Los Angeles. As long as the offense continues to be on the same page, the Chiefs will have the chance to go into San Francisco undefeated.
Final Score: Chiefs 17, Chargers 10
Jones' Three Stars
1st Star - Xavier Worthy
3 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD
2nd Star - Samaje Perine
5 carries, 14 yards, 1 TD (game-winning)
3rd Star - Travis Kelce
7 receptions, 89 yards
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