San Diego Chargers NFL Week 3: 5 Reasons the Bolts Will Blow out the Chiefs

The San Diego Chargers have a real chance to set the tone in the AFC West by blowing out their division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs in week three. This is the first interdivision game for both teams and the Chargers need to demonstrate their superiority against the floundering Chiefs.  

Not only will a huge victory quench the Bolts’ thirst for revenge but it will also place the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos on notice that the Chargers are the team to beat and the class of the division.

Here are the top five reasons why this game will end with a lopsided score in favor of the Chargers in increasing order of importance.

San Diego Wants Revenge

The Chargers are hungry to prove that losing the AFC West title to Kansas City last year was a fluke.

It was an opening day loss to the Chiefs last year which set the tone for the Chargers miserable season with a costly turnover and horrific special team’s coverage that led to two Chiefs touchdowns.

San Diego got their first taste of revenge by hammering the Chiefs 31-0 when they met again in week 14. Still, it wasn’t enough to save their season and the Bolts will look to make a statement against their rivals this coming Sunday.

The Charges have an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division by delivering an early-round knockout punch to the team that bettered them last season. There will be no need for additional motivational speeches by the coaching staff prior to this game, everyone will be pumped up and ready to play from the first snap.

The Chiefs Keep Getting Blown out

In their first two games, Kansas City has been utterly destroyed by the Buffalo Bills (41-7) and the Detroit Lions (48-3). Those are ugly scores no matter the competition, but just look at the competition.

The Bills (4-12 last year) and the Lions (6-10 last year) haven’t exactly been known for their ability to set the league on fire. Yet against the Chiefs, these recent cellar dwellers have posted huge margins of victory and have looked like division champs in the process.

Imagine what a supposedly strong team like the Chargers will do at home to a Kansas City team in total disarray.

If it weren’t for the fact that San Diego head coach Norv Turner was such a nice guy, I would predict that the Charges would score 70 points. But I know Turner will not want to embarrass his arch rival and will let his foot off the gas once the Chargers take the lead.

Rivers Will Have a Great Game

Everyone knows that Philip Rivers is an excellent passer of the football. He has already thrown four touchdown passes in his first two games this year. He has also turned the ball over five times with four interceptions and a fumble during that same period.

Against the Vikings, his two picks can be attributed to first game jitters. A shortened preseason and not many game-situation reps kept Rivers from playing at his mid-season best.

Against the Patriots, it was a case of Rivers pressing too hard while trying to prove to his critics, and himself, that he can play big in big games. Unfortunately, all he did was reinforce what the critics were already saying.

With the pressure off and the cob webs cleared, Rivers will settle into his typical form and have a great game, throwing for at least three touchdowns and not one interception. Rivers is due for a big game, and against the lowly Chiefs, he will have it.

Kansas City Is Severely Banged Up

Starting with the last preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs have lost one starting player to injury in each successive game.

First it was tight end Tony Moeaki followed by all-pro safety Eric Berry and then star running back Jamaal Charles—all have been placed on the injured reserve list.

It is an amazing coincidence that in three consecutive weeks three key players would all be lost for the season with the same injury, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  

The loss of Charles, the NFLs second leading rusher in 2010, is an especially tough pill to swallow for the Chiefs as it leaves them without their top offensive player. Kansas City will have to rely on the 33-year old legs of Thomas Jones to pick up the slack.

Needless to say, the Chiefs come to Qualcomm Stadium as easy targets for an explosive Chargers team bent on revenge. Only Divine Intervention will be able to save the Chiefs from their third disastrous game in a row.

The Chargers Red Zone Troubles Will End

The Chargers have shown a propensity early in the season for driving the length of the field but scoring few points.

That trend will end against the Chiefs.

San Diego may have turned the ball over five times already this season, but the Chiefs have done the dirty deed nine times.  

Kansas City’s offense is a combined 5-24 on third down conversions while the Chargers are 16-25.

What that means is that the Bolts should have the ball all day long as well as getting plenty of short-field opportunities to boot. The chiefs are destined to cough the ball up in their own end at least a couple of times, gifting the Chargers 10 points or more.

There is nothing like playing a hapless team at home to restore the confidence of a team in search of their identity after a humbling loss to the Patriots last week. The Chiefs couldn't be any worse off if they jumped from an airplane without a parachute. Look for the Chargers to roll over the free-falling Chiefs in a big way.