Some will remember an awesome Kansas City-Los Angeles primetime game from a couple of years back, a shootout where Philip Rivers' Chargers scored a touchdown in the final seconds, went for 2, and got it. They need to schedule these teams in primetime every year, because last night was another of those. Hope more of the stars were for than against you.
QUARTERBACKS
Pretty great stuff out of Justin Herbert. Imagine if his receivers didn't keep dropping touchdowns on him. Depending on how you count, there were either 2 or 4 that absolutely should have been caught. Herbert was throwing lasers all night, had a touchdown run with his legs, and would have got a win if either (1) one of his key defenders didn't get hurt, or (2) his head coach perceived any value in occasionally taking 3 points rather than going for 7 and settling for zero. Herbert's going to be putting up big numbers for a long time.
Patrick Mahomes was a little erratic, especially early. Threw a should-have-been touchdown in the dirt to one receiver, didn't seem to do a great job of sensing blind-side pressure, resulting in a couple of big hits and turnovers. Didn't get any help from his running game, and it's mystifying to me that offseason after offseason they can't produce a wide receiver better than Mecole Hardman or especially Demarcus Robinson. But Mahomes wasn't playing well. Things got a lot better in the second half, though, with his two main players on fire. Where has that been for the past month? If you were starting Mahomes, you're quite happy today. Finished with better numbers than Herbert, although I thought Herbert deserved better.
RUNNING BACKS
First the good: Austin Ekeler did play fewer snaps than usual, as a pregame report suggested. But when he was on the field, he was running it and catching it with his usual excellence, finishing with fine numbers and a touchdown. And Justin Jackson, after last night, has perhaps finally sealed the No. 2 job. He put up 99 total yards, ripping off some nice runs along the way, and the Chargers are no doubt kicking themselves for instead giving the ball to Joshua Kelley at a key goal-line sequence. Kelley also had a good run to set up that play, but maybe asking him to leap over the pile was a mistake. He never had a good grip on the handoff, leapt from about the 3-yard-line, lost the ball at about the 2 and a half. Awful, and I think Kelley will be exchanging spots with inactive Larry Rountree next week.
Kansas City's running backs didn't cover themselves in glory. I can buy that the Chargers have tightened things up against the run, to an extent, but let's not excuse what Darrel Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire were neglecting to do out there. Williams took handoffs and looked like he was pondering what to do with the football before running forward. Edwards-Helaire flashed some quickness on a 12-yard reception -- where is that on his carries? Most of the questioning of Kansas City and why they haven't been as good on offense this season gets put on the offensive line, the coaching, Patrick Mahomes. How about the fact that none of the running backs or pass catchers behind Hill and Kelce are any good? Imagine if Kansas City had drafted Jonathan Taylor rather than Edwards-Helaire. Michael Burton scored a touchdown early, but also got stuffed on a key short-yardage sequence near the goal line, catching a shovel pass and being dropped in his tracks by the four Chargers linemen just standing there waiting for him. Because he's a slow-footed fullback who shouldn't be a key part of the offense. But he won some people money in FanDuel as a cheap option who scored.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Monster game for Tyreek Hill, rewarding those of us who made it into the playoffs with him despite his lesser numbers for most of the past six weeks. When Hill and Mahomes are clicking like they were last night, you wonder why they can't do that every week. And since they don't, you wonder why the Chargers were incapable of doing what other teams could.
Kansas City's other wide receivers, I've ripped them enough. Mecole Hardman was free for a touchdown that Mahomes threw at his feet, maybe he expected Hardman to be in a different spot. Byron Pringle got 3 short passes including one near the goal line but wasn't that close to actually getting in. Demarcus Robinson didn't catch any of the 3 passes sent his way. One just looked like a lousy route near the sideline; way to give your quarterback a fraction of an inch to stick the ball into. Josh Gordon missed the game on the COVID list, I think we can all agree at this point that Gordon would not have made a lick of difference in this team's receiving corps. Kansas City needs a near complete overhaul in the offseason.
The Chargers, in contrast, have four good wide receivers at the moment. Keenan Allen had a nice game and nearly had a second touchdown early, tackled a little short of the goal line. It looked like his ankle or heel got rolled up on the play and it was scary; he missed some snaps, and looked like his night might end early. But he was fine and did his part. Mike Williams was a disappointment, but I have no qualms about starting or recommending him. Williams dropped one touchdown and was close to catching another; he was also wide open near the goal line on a trick play thrown by Allen, who proved why we don't see more of these trick plays by throwing an ugly duck that had little chance of being completed. Jalen Guyton caught a touchdown for the third week in a row. Isn't being used enough when Allen and Williams are both available, but good player -- will be interesting, working with Herbert, if Williams leaves in free agency. And Josh Palmer looks like a nice dynasty hold. Just one target and catch last night; can't be used, yet. But if Williams leaves, I think Palmer is as likely to be the No. 2 next year as Guyton, maybe more so.
TIGHT ENDS
Really scary injury for Donald Parham early on last night. Out cold in the end zone, stretchered off. Still in the hospital this morning. When I rip players in columns, I recognize that all these guys are in a profession where in any given moment they can wind up paralyzed. I have no tolerance for people who go on Twitter and tag players in their tirades against them. In his absence, Jared Cook saw 7 targets and caught 3 passes, dropping a touchdown where it looked like he thought the ball was on fire. Cook is neck-and-neck with Jimmy Graham as far as veteran tight ends who should think long and hard about finally retiring. But I guess if teams are willing to keep writing them checks to catch the kind of passes that younger, better tight ends could just as easily catch, who are they to turn the money down.
Travis Kelce had an unremarkable first three quarters, prompting a discussion in my living room about whether he was in fact washed up. Then Derwin James left after aggravating a hamstring injury, and Kelce turned back the clock with 69- and 34-yard receptions and 2 TDs. If you were starting or facing Kelce, there's some chance your playoff matchup is already over, heavily influenced by one injury. Never underestimate the arbitrary luck that can swing a fantasy playoff game. Mahomes-Kelce-Hill: they can disappoint for a month straight but win matchups for you on their own if they get the right situation.
MISCELLANEOUS
Brandon Staley's decisions to pass up field goals in favor of going for it on fourth down has and will continue to inspire debate. I think everything needs to be a case-by-case situation -- watching the game, there were times I agreed with going for it, and times I would have kicked it. It's painful to hear announcers with no actual understanding of what they're saying say things like "The numbers say...." Sorry, but this is not a strength for Troy Aikman and he should just admit he doesn't know what the numbers say. All I'm going to say is if you're going to be aggressive, at least make sure you have a lot of good plays, better ones than some of the ones they ran. A play before the half where Keenan Allen was open and a Kansas City defender tipped it away; that was a good play. Anything involving Michael Burton, that's not a good play. You don't need to be an analytics guy to know that.
Kansas City is clearly still in the discussion to go to another Super Bowl. They have their flaws, like every other team, but their strengths are pretty awesome. They're gonna be a tough out in January/February.
Los Angeles might be just as talented, or at least similar, but they're another year away. They've got issues on defense, they seem totally incapable of figuring out who their 2nd-best running back is, their tight ends aren't good -- should have hung onto Hunter Henry, I think. They're probably going to the playoffs as a wild card, but last night made it seem like their postseason will probably end with a loss, and sooner rather than later. But I do like watching Justin Herbert play.