The Los Angeles Chargers need a result badly in Week 5, and the road doesn’t get any kinder. They’re 0-5, headed into Kansas City to face the 4-0 Chiefs, and nothing about this matchup points toward an easy night. For Los Angeles, a slow start has turned this into the kind of game that demands a full 60-minute answer.
If the Chargers are going to have any shot at pulling off the upset, one defensive tackle could end up carrying more weight than most people expect: Teair Tart.
A lot of the attention will naturally land on Justin Herbert and an offense that hasn’t found consistency. But against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, that’s only part of the story. Los Angeles has to hold up on defense first, and Tart’s role on the inside could shape everything that follows.
Tart’s value in this matchup comes down to one thing: his ability to clog the middle and help shut down Kansas City’s run game. At 6-2 and 315 pounds, he has the size to absorb double teams and make the Chiefs work harder between the tackles. If he can win enough of those snaps, the runs can get pushed back outside.
That’s where the rest of the Chargers’ front can come into play. Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu both have the ability to set the edge in the run game and pressure the quarterback, so if Tart can force Kansas City’s rushing attack toward the perimeter, Los Angeles can lean into one of its strengths.
It won’t be simple. Tart will be dealing with a solid interior group for the Chiefs that includes right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey, and left guard Kingsley Sumataia, all of whom have been reliable early in the year.
Still, that battle up front may decide how comfortable Kansas City gets on the ground. If Tart and the Chargers’ defensive tackles can keep the Chiefs from finding room inside, they can funnel plays toward Mack and Tuipulotu, create more obvious passing downs, and make Kansas City more one-dimensional.
And if that happens, the Chargers might give themselves a real opening. Add even mild offensive success to that formula, and Tart’s work in the middle could help create the kind of game-changing turnovers that finally put Los Angeles in the win column.
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Chargers Head Into Chiefs Showdown With Their Season Already Feeling Urgent
The Chargers head to Kansas City for a Week 6 meeting that already feels like a turning point, with Sundays game set for Oct. 18 and another familiar test waiting at Arrowhead Stadium. It is the kind of midseason matchup that tends to sharpen the stakes quickly, especially for a team looking to keep pace in a division where every slip can linger.
Los Angeles will get the Chiefs in the early afternoon window, with kickoff slated for 1:25 p.m. PT and coverage on CBS, plus streaming availability on Fubo. Arrowhead has a way of making even routine divisional games feel bigger than they are, and this one carries the extra weight of a Chargers season that already seems to be asking for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Near A Breaking Point As Week 7 Decision Looms
The Chargers slow start has already pushed the conversation beyond simple corrections and into bigger-picture territory, with NFL Networks Ian Rapoport saying the team is still operating with confidence in coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. For now, the sense around the organization is that there is no appetite to make drastic moves, even as the record keeps the pressure on and the speculation around the roster keeps growing.
Rapoport also reported that teams have inquired about Khalil Mack, a sign that other clubs are watching closely as the Chargers head toward a Week 7 bye that could become a natural decision point. The idea of major roster turnover is still only a possibility, not a conclusion, but if the losing streak keeps stretching on, this is the stretch where the Chargers could be forced to decide whether to stay patient or start reshaping the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Could Soon Feel Pressure From A Chargers Decision
Even with the season off to a rough 0-5 start and injuries piling up, the Chargers are not taking calls like a team ready to strip things down. According to Tom Pelissero, general manager Joe Horitz has already told multiple clubs that Los Angeles is not interested in trade offers at the moment, a stance that suggests the front office is at least trying to keep the roster intact as the deadline approaches.
That patience, though, is likely to keep the rumor mill spinning around some of the veterans on the roster, especially with rival teams looking for help before the deadline. Khalil Mack has been one of the names most commonly mentioned in that conversation, along with other experienced pieces who could draw interest if the Chargers eventually decide to listen. [Read more 🡒]