Chiefs vs. Chargers: Full Report Card Grades for Kansas City
It was not a pretty game with ups and downs throughout the match, but the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off the upset against a tough opponent on the road. From coaching to the players, the Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for finding a way to beat the San Diego Chargers.
The Chiefs had the right game plan and executed it to come away with the stunner.
Let’s review Kansas City’s win that brought an end to San Diego’s five-game winning streak and hand out grades to every unit.
Quarterback
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Fans love to bring up the fact that Alex Smith does not pass the ball downfield, which is fine. But Smith finds a way to get the job done by making the right passes.
His 19-of-28 passes went for 221 yards and a touchdown. He finished with a passer rating of 103.4. Smith has gone four games this year without throwing an interception, and he only threw one in his last five games. Turnovers are always an important factor to a game.
More importantly, Smith led the Chiefs to a game-winning drive. He had two opportunities to do so earlier this year, but he couldn’t. He pulled through this time to help the Chiefs come away victorious against one of the best teams in the NFL.
Grade: A+
Running Back
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It was a good day for Jamaal Charles and his sidekicks in the backfield. Charles ran for 95 yards and a touchdown in style as he hit the record books to become the all-time franchise rushing leader.
Rookie De’Anthony Thomas pulled through in his first career start with a couple of plays to contribute to Kansas City’s 365 yards, as did Knile Davis.
The Chiefs have one of the league’s best group of running backs in the NFL. If Andy Reid continues to utilize his scatbacks, the Chiefs will go far.
Anthony Sherman also got in on the fun with a nifty touchdown catch-and-run play of his own.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver
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Dwayne Bowe stepped up and had one of his better games on Sunday, but it was still far from great. In fact, the receiving core let the offense down with a pair of key drops.
Junior Hemingway dropped a third-down pass when he appeared to have a first down right before halftime. The Chiefs were forced to punt as Philip Rivers led the Chargers to a quick touchdown score. Bowe also dropped a pass on third down, which could have translated into a first down and brought the Chiefs closer to the end zone. Instead, the Chiefs had to deal with a field goal after his drop.
A.J. Jenkins escaped a pack of San Diego defenders and had only the end zone ahead of him. However, Jenkins stepped out of bounds while near the sidelines, preventing the Chiefs from getting a long touchdown play.
The Chiefs receivers are proving they have talent, but must focus and help the offense in crucial moments.
Grade: B+
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Tight End
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Smith usually relies on his tight ends the most in the passing game, but this unit was quiet against the Chargers.
Travis Kelce was not targeted until the second half after finishing with four catches for 33 yards, but he did come through late in the game to help the Chiefs get close before kicking a field goal. Fasano was targeted once with no receptions and was called for offensive pass interference.
It was a different kind of game for Kansas City's tight ends. Even the best players have down days, and hopefully this is one of very few bad days for the position group.
Grade: B-
Offensive Line
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Much like Sunday's game, Kansas City's offensive line has been up and down throughout the year. The line struggled at certain points in the game.
Guard Mike McGlynn allowed a sack as San Diego defenders beat him in order to bring running backs down for multiple tackles for a loss. Eric Fisher, who has quietly played well, also struggled in allowing a sack, having a hard time keeping up with Chargers defenders.
As a whole, the line played better in the running game, but it allowed Smith to be sacked three times.
Grade: C-
Defensive Line
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Kansas City's defensive game plan was to simply put pressure on Rivers. If the Chiefs come through with a strong pass rush, it will hurt Rivers and San Diego's offense. The Chiefs did exactly that.
In addition to occupying offensive linemen to allow the outside linebackers through, Allen Bailey invaded the pocket early and forced Rivers to get rid of the ball sooner than he wanted to.
The defensive line also had a hand in keeping rookie running back Branden Oliver quiet. Oliver had a 100-yard rushing game in the last two weeks, but he was held to 67 yards against the Chiefs.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
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Justin Houston and Tamba Hali continue to showcase their ability to get to the quarterback as both of them recorded a sack. As the best pass-rushing duo, they led Kansas City's front seven in applying pressure on Rivers.
Inside linebacker Josh Mauga has been a pleasant surprise for the Chiefs. He finished with five tackles and was huge in the run support to limit Oliver.
The Chiefs have a case to claim they own the best linebacking corp in the NFL. Whether it is the inside or outside linebackers playing against the pass or run, this unit always pulls through to help put the Chiefs in position to win.
Grade: A
Secondary
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It was a tough and long game for the secondary. Rivers managed to move ball by finding holes by exposing some of the weaknesses the defensive backs have. But the unit finished strong.
Despite being penalized twice, Jamell Fleming led the team in tackles in his first start as a Chief. Rookie cornerback Phillip Gaines looked like a veteran and was sharp while the Chargers had the ball in the red zone.
While helping the front seven, Husain Abdullah came through with a little bit of pressure when he recorded a quarterback hit.
To top it all off, Kurt Coleman helped seal the game with an interception before the Chiefs ended the game with a quarterback kneel.
If the secondary continues to take advantage of the pressure provided by the front seven, it will continue to do well the rest of the season.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
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Knile Davis and De'Anthony Thomas did well in the return game, while Dustin Colquitt continued to show why he is one of the best punters in the league.
The biggest highlight for Kansas City's special teams was rookie kicker Cairo Santos, who split the uprights three times and was the hero with a game-winning 48-yard field goal to lift the Chiefs. His game-winner is also his career long.
Grade: A
Coaching
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Reid has been the center of criticism by the fans and local media for not giving the ball to Charles as much as he should have. Everyone got what they wished for as the Chiefs ran the ball 39 times and passed 28.
The run-heavy play call resulted in the Chiefs winning the time-of-possession battle of 39 minutes to San Diego's 21. Keeping Rivers on the sidelines for 21 minutes played a big role in the upset.
On top of that, Reid's compelling stat of being 13-2 after the bye week continues to impress fans.
Reid is the reason for Kansas City's turnaround and was the reason for the win against the Chargers.
Grade: A+
Overall
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QB: A+
RB: A+
WR: B+
TE: B-
OL: C-
DL: B+
LB: A
DB: B
ST: A
Coaching: A+
Cumulative: A-
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