Kansas City Chiefs vs San Diego Chargers: Breaking Down San Diego's Game Plan
The San Diego Chargers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, a game they cannot take lightly after nearly falling to the winless Oakland Raiders. Two keys to the game, one on each side of the ball, will determine San Diego’s fate.
The Chargers (5-1) have been taking care of business throughout the lighter part of their schedule, going 3-0 against the likes of the Jaguars, Jets and Raiders.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr put on a show against a much-improved San Diego secondary, which woke up the Chargers in the fourth-quarter’s final minutes. With the schedule beginning to increase in difficulty, this could be a blessing in disguise.
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The Chiefs (2-3) are attempting to withstand the bounty of injuries plaguing them this season. They kept up with the 49ers in Week 5 before falling 17-22 and spent Week 6 on a bye.
Although they haven’t been playing like they were last season, the Chiefs still have a terrifying pass rush that could give San Diego’s lackluster offensive line some trouble. Their offense, while not as celebrated, has one of the best-kept secrets in all of football. The Chargers’ handling of this secret is one of their keys to the game.
Defensive key to the game: Contain tight end Travis Kelce
The Chargers haven’t been roasted by many tight ends this season, but they haven’t played many great ones, either. Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce isn’t a Pro Bowler yet, but he has all the tools to be one.
After the Chiefs spent much of last season keeping Kelce under wraps, they unleashed the second-year Cincinnati product in 2014 as their wide receiver corps thinned out. He had a breakout game versus the Patriots in Week 4, catching eight passes for 93 yards and showing what makes him such a special player: his bruising runs after the catch befitting of a tight end back in Mike Ditka’s day.
Kelce gains chunks of yardage without many opportunities to go deep, partly because the Chiefs love to put him in motion and get him out in space. Mostly, however, it’s Kelce impressing on his own in limited action. Here is a play that exemplifies his athletic gifts and physical style.
San Diego will have its hands full with Kelce. They don’t have a truly sound linebacker in coverage like Patrick Willis, who helped limit Kelce to just two catches in the Chiefs’ loss to San Francisco (although one of those catches went for a touchdown). While the Chargers’ secondary has shined this season, the unit’s lack of size would easily be exploited by him.
Quieting Kelce, an emerging part of Kansas City’s passing game, will have to be a group effort. Sprinkles of double coverage are absolutely on the table, especially in the red zone—Kelce has caught a touchdown in three consecutive games.
The Chargers can risk double coverage on Kelce due to the Chiefs having little in the way of other targets. There is Dwayne Bowe and a stable of pass-catching running backs—that’s about it. The San Diego cornerbacks can hold their own against these players without extra help from the safeties or linebackers.
The Chiefs wish they could say the same thing about themselves—one of their corners might need all the help he can get Sunday.
Offensive key to the game: Attack Marcus Cooper
Ever since Peyton Manning relentlessly targeted seventh-round pick Marcus Cooper in Week 11 of 2013, the once-promising cornerback has never looked the same. Through the season’s first six weeks, he has a coverage grade of minus-8.9 and quarterbacks have a passer rating of 140.2 when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus.
That’s bad news for Kansas City but great news for San Diego. Philip Rivers is not one to back down from any cornerback, as we saw versus Richard Sherman in Week 2. When facing a struggling corner like Cooper, Rivers will show no hesitation in going after him.
What is even more of a factor is which receiver Cooper will be lining up against. He is usually the left corner in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, which matches him up against the offense’s right wide receiver. San Diego’s right wide receiver is Malcom Floyd, a Rivers favorite who caught five passes for 103 yards against the Raiders.
Let’s see why this combination was so effective in Oakland and why that could spell doom for Kansas City.
Floyd’s biggest responsibility will be to shake off Cooper’s man coverage early, preventing the daunting Chiefs pass rush from sacking Rivers before a big play develops. He is rarely a consistent receiver, often exploding for big stat lines solely when the team needs him to. His heroics will likely be needed Sunday against the most talented team the Chargers have faced in weeks.
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