Chiefs vs. Chargers: What's the Game Plan for San Diego?

After a week off to reflect on their current five-game losing streak, the San Diego Chargers will attempt to right the ship on Sunday against their AFC west rivals—the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers (2-7) lost a prime-time battle at home to the Chicago Bears in Week 9. Jay Cutler connected with Zach Miller on a 25-yard scoring strike in the final 3:19 to beat San Diego 22-19. The Bears trailed for most of the game but outscored the Chargers 14-3 in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs (4-5) are riding a three-game winning streak after routing the Denver Broncos 29-13 in Week 10. Peyton Manning was intercepted four times and Brock Osweiler threw another, as the Broncos struggled to do much of anything against a dominant Kansas City defense. 

So how do the Chargers take down the red-hot Chiefs on Sunday? Ask and you shall receive.

Offensive Game Plan

The Chargers throw it a lot (about 44 times a game), and who could blame them with an elite quarterback such as Philip Rivers doing the throwing. Problem is, at least in Rivers' case, throwing for an insane amount of yards doesn't translate into wins most of the time. A strong running game does, however.

So about 88 percent of the time, the Chargers win when a 100-yard rusher is present. See where this is going?

It's time the Chargers start showing more confidence in the run game, specifically with Melvin Gordon. The first half of the season saw Gordon produce 413 yards on 114 rushes, which isn't very much compared to other rookies. Todd Gurley, despite missing the first two games of the season, has 709 yards, and second-round pick T.J. Yeldon has 585. Not to mention, Gordon is the only rookie running back still without a touchdown.

The Chargers have been so hard-pressed to limit Gordon's workload that it might actually be hurting his development. But with nothing to lose at this point, why not feed him 20-plus carries and see how he does? Maybe they'll come to find out he actually succeeds with a high volume of carries.

Plus, who exactly is Rivers going to throw to on Sunday?

Keenan Allen is done for the year, and Malcom Floyd has been ruled out with a shoulder injury. Antonio Gates has been hobbled by a knee injury, and Ladarius Green isn't likely to be 100 percent even if he plays on a hurt ankle.

So who does that leave? Stevie Johnson and a couple of guys off the practice squad. Dontrelle Inman, Javontee Herndon and Tyrell Williams were all members of the practice squad at some point but have been called up to the active roster in light of injuries to the receiving corps.

But because the receivers are inexperienced, does that mean San Diego won't throw as much? No, not necessarily. Rivers has a way of making it work in the passing game, even if he's not all that familiar with who he's throwing to. Remember Danario Alexander a few years back? San Diego signed him off the street and less than a month later he had more than 100 yards receiving in a game. True story.

But Rivers' biggest issue won't be who he's throwing to but who he's throwing against. The Chiefs have a bunch of ball hawks in their secondary, including Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Marcus Peters, who leads the team with four interceptions. Rivers can't be too careless against this group. High-percentage passes are a must.

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And finally, there's this whole pass-rush thing. Kansas City has notched 26 sacks on the year, with 7.5 coming from elite edge-rusher Justin Houston. And when the offensive line is burdened with Houston, there's Allen Bailey (4.5 sacks) and Tamba Hali (3.5 sacks) to worry about. Here's a tip: get the ball out quickly.

Defensive Game Plan

San Diego's defense has really been struggling lately, and injuries to key players haven't helped the situation. Eric Weddle missed a couple of games, Jason Verret has been in and out of games with injuries and Corey Liuget might not play Sunday because of an ankle. And those who have managed to stay healthy aren't playing that great.

Luckily, the Chiefs are far more defensive-minded than offensive, and their best player—Jamaal Charles—is out for the season with an injury.

Still, Kansas City averages 24.9 points, and Charles' backup—Charcandrick West—is actually not bad. He scored twice last week and had 161 yards from scrimmage. And say what you will about Alex Smith being a game-manager at quarterback, he's helping the Chiefs win games. He might not get 300 yards passing every week, but he takes care of the football (3 INTs) and extends drives with his legs (14 rushing first-downs).

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Catching the passes from Smith are Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce with 45 receptions apiece. Maclin hasn't had the type of year we saw out of him in 2014 with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's dangerous nonetheless. Kelce, too, hasn't played as good he did last season, but he's an emerging tight end with Rob Gronkowski-like qualities about him.

Let's be real: the Chiefs have a decent offense but it's not going to blow the lid off a game. It comes down to execution and whether or not the Chargers defense can do so on Sunday. Stop the run, rush the passer, don't miss tackles, avoid silly penalties; it's not complicated. But the Chargers make it so sometimes. 

Key Matchups and Players to Watch

Joe Barksdale vs. Justin Houston

San Diego's best pass-blocker goes mano-a-mano with Kansas City's best pass-rusher. Houston notched four sacks in the regular-season finale against the Chargers last December, but Barksdale was not around then. We'll see if that makes the difference, or if Rivers runs for his life just as he did before.

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Jason Verrett vs. Jeremy Maclin

Verrett's opening coverage against Bears' receiver Alshon Jeffery was superb until he was forced to leave the game early with a groin injury. Fortunately for the Chargers, Verrett was a full participant in practice every day this week, so he'll be present to guard Maclin, who leads the Chiefs in catches of 20 or more yards with nine so far.

Manti Te'o

After a four-game absence due to injury, Te'o more than likely plays on Sunday after being listed as probable on the injury report. He had some flashes earlier this season but still hasn't quite lived up to the hype from his days at Notre Dame. The Chargers need him to help plug up the Chiefs running game.

Stevie Johnson

He's the man now with Allen and Floyd out of the lineup, forcing him to make plays inside and out in the passing game. He was targeted 10 times last week and could possibly see more with San Diego's tight ends banged up as well. Johnson carried the receiving corps in Buffalo during his time with the Bills, so this isn't new to him.

Prediction

The Chargers are so depleted on offense, with guys either out or playing hurt, that it's hard to believe they stand a chance at scoring enough points to beat the Chiefs. And the defense has been that bad for San Diego to assume Kansas City will have no trouble on that end. San Diego's losing streak continues to start the second half of the season.

Predicted Score: Chiefs 21, Chargers 13

** All injury information courtesy of Chargers.com **