The Chiefs are back from the bye, still perfect, and staring at an AFC West opponent that badly needs something to break its way.
Sunday’s visit from the Chargers comes with Kansas City at 4-0 and Los Angeles having dropped five straight to open the season. It’s also the second straight division game for both teams: the Chiefs beat the Raiders 30-27 in Week 4, while the Chargers fell 23-17 to the Broncos on Sunday.
Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. Central Time at Arrowhead Stadium, with CBS carrying the game. The betting line has Kansas City favored by 8.5.
There’s no shortage of history attached to this matchup in Kansas City, and not much of it is friendly to the Chargers. The last time they played at Arrowhead, it was the night Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in a 16-13 Chargers win, a loss that left Kansas City needing a win just to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Los Angeles followed that with a win over Dallas, then dropped its final two games and missed the postseason. That December victory against Dallas remains their last win.
Andy Reid isn’t putting much stock into the Chargers’ record, and he’s not buying the idea that 0-5 says much about what’s coming Sunday.
“Good football team - we know that,” Reid said. “Records don’t matter.
They’ve been in every game, and they’re playing their tail off. So we’re going to get ready for a tough AFC West battle there.
Jim (Harbaugh) does a heck of a job with that crew.”
That’s the right way to frame the Chargers, because the close losses have been a theme. Los Angeles has dropped its last three games by one score, and its injury report has only made the climb steeper.
The offensive line has taken heavy damage, including injuries to Rashawn Slater (ankle) and Joe Alt (neck). Against Denver, the Chargers were forced into a rookie-heavy front and Justin Herbert was sacked five times.
Slater is on injured reserve, and Alt did not practice Wednesday.
Herbert has now been sacked 17 times through five games, second-most in the league. That number jumps off the page for a Chiefs defense still looking for its first sack since the opening-night win over Denver, when it posted four.
“There’s a lot of things that go into it,” defensive end George Karlaftis said. “From protection and quarterback getting rid of the ball and all that kind of stuff. Ultimately, for us as a front seven, defensive line, we’ve got to get the quarterback on the ground by any means necessary, and we’ve got to do a better job of that.”
The problems for Los Angeles go well beyond the trenches. Wednesday’s injury report included 19 additional players, with left guard Kayode Awosika (fibula), wide receiver Tre Harris (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (hamstring) and safety Derwin James (hamstring) all held out because of injury. James has missed the last two games, and another absence would matter against Travis Kelce, who leads the Chiefs with 246 receiving yards in his 14th season.
Kansas City’s own pass-catching picture is changing, too. Tyquan Thornton is headed to injured reserve, Rashee Rice missed the first practice of the week with a hamstring injury, and that opens the door for Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen and the recently reacquired Justin Watson, who could be elevated from the practice squad.
“They’ve put in the work,” Patrick Mahomes said. “We’ve had the guys in front of them with Tyquan going out there and playing great football, and so they’ve had to put in the work at practice.
And they’ve been doing that and doing that. And so now their number gets called, and they’re gonna step into the role and do their job.
And so I’m excited for them.”
The bigger engine for Kansas City right now is Kenneth Walker. The Chiefs’ 2026 offensive plan begins with the running back, who has already piled up 621 yards from scrimmage and, according to Pro Football Focus, forced a league-best 39 missed tackles. His presence has given Mahomes cleaner looks in play-action, and it’s helped the offense stay on schedule.
That matters against a Chargers edge group that has combined for 6.5 sacks through Khalil Mack, Akheem Mesidor and Tuli Tuipulotu. It also matters with left tackle Josh Simmons, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday but, per Reid, will be eased back in. His return may have to wait until next week at the earliest.
On the other side, Los Angeles has struggled to get Herbert into rhythm under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Injuries and inconsistency have helped drag Herbert to seven interceptions and a 70.2 passer rating. When the pocket breaks down, Herbert has leaned on his legs, rushing for 142 yards on 24 carries, a 5.9-yard average.
Steve Spagnuolo’s job is clear: force Herbert toward what Harbaugh has called “desperation time.” That could hand Kansas City’s healthier secondary chances to make plays, especially if the Chargers are forced to lean on a ground game built around Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal.
Los Angeles needs a win just to keep from entering its Week 8 bye still searching for its first victory. Kansas City, meanwhile, looks built to make that wait a little longer. The Chargers may hang around early, but the Chiefs have too much going for them right now - the unbeaten start, the offense finding its groove, and Reid’s track record coming off a bye - to let this one slip.
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