The Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers will mix it up at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with both teams still fighting for a spot in the postseason. San Diego needs nothing more than to win, while Kansas City needs a victory coupled with losses by the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
This is the second meeting between the Chargers and Chiefs this season. Kansas City won the first game in San Diego by maintaining possession of the football for nearly 40 minutes, which allowed Cairo Santos to kick a last- minute field goal to seal the win, 23-20. San Diego will attempt to exact some revenge with a playoff berth on the line.
The Chargers control their own destiny because of an incredible win last Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite falling behind 21-0 and 35-21 in the fourth quarter, San Diego rallied to defeat the 49ers in overtime. Philip Rivers threw three interceptions but also tossed four touchdowns, which helped propel the Chargers to victory. Rivers has been exceptional this season, completing 67 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,995 yards and 31 scores.
Kansas City needs a miracle for to qualify for the postseason. The Chiefs are coming off a 20-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and have been reeling of late, losing four of five. Kansas City's offensive line can't block, allowing 45 sacks on Alex Smith, a career-high. Left guard and right tackle have been particularly troublesome with Jeff Linkenbach and Ryan Harris surrendering constant pressures.
Defensively, the group is led by sack-master Justin Houston, who leads the NFL with 18 sacks. Houston is joined by Tamba Hali, Allen Bailey and Dontari Poe in Kansas City's front, combining for another 16 sacks. Getting pressure on Rivers will certainly be the Chiefs' top priority.
How to Watch
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
Radio: Chiefs Radio Network, Chargers Radio Network
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Kansas City is favored by 2.5 points at home against San Diego, with an over/under of 42, per OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue.
To keep up with the Chiefs, head over to Arrowhead Pride.