Dee Friedman
The Chiefs got a well deserved bye last week after playing one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL through five weeks. One season after Kansas City benefited from the easiest slate in recent memory, the Chiefs faced five opponents to open this year that were 7-9 or better last season, including three playoff teams, two squads that reached their conference title game, and one Super Bowl qualifier. San Diego has not played nearly as severe a slate, though their week two win over Seattle was a wake-up call for much of the NFL. The Chargers have won four straight and six out of seven against their AFC West rival Kansas City.
The Chiefs got a well deserved bye last week after playing one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL through five weeks. One season after Kansas City benefited from the easiest slate in recent memory, the Chiefs faced five opponents to open this year that were 7-9 or better last season, including three playoff teams, two squads that reached their conference title game, and one Super Bowl qualifier. San Diego has not played nearly as severe a slate though their week two win over Seattle was a wake-up call for much of the NFL. The Chargers have won four straight and six out of seven against their AFC West rival Kansas City.
The Chiefs are on the road for a second straight game and the fourth time during a five game stretch. Their only home game between September 8 and October 25 was a 41-14 victory over the Patriots in week four. Last year, the Chiefs were 6-2 on the road and 7-1 against the spread. Their first two road efforts this year – a one score loss at Denver and a convincing win against Miami – showed promise. After starting last year 9-0, the Chiefs lost three straight games following their bye week. Andy Reid lost six straight games following the Eagles bye week in 2012 during his final season coaching Philadelphia. Reid won every other regular season game after a bye with the Eagles dating back to 2000.
Going into his first season as Chargers coach last year, expectations for Mike McCoy were tempered. He nonetheless managed a 9-7 season, including a playoff birth, and finished 9-6-1 against the spread including a 5-3 mark at home. This year, San Diego has picked up where they left off. The best two opponents they’ve faced in 2014 are Arizona and Seattle. The fell by a single point in Phoenix and beat the Seahawks 30-21 at home. The Chargers have passed the ball extremely well, though their running game has been slow to develop. tThey will likely be without Ryan Matthews for the game against the Chiefs, which won’t help matters. On defense, they have been solid against the pass and run. This is the only home game for San Diego during a five week run with trips to Denver and Miami up next before a week ten bye.
