Chargers @ Chiefs
Final Score: Chiefs 19, Chargers 17
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1.bsky.social on Bluesky)
Doink! A dramatic, hooking game-winning field goal saw the Kansas City Chiefs overcome the plucky Los Angeles Chargers in a defensive battle at Arrowhead both Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes just about escaped battered and bruised after a dogfight in the trenches between two teams struggling to click into gear on offense. Mahomes and Herbert ended the game with eerily similar figures as both offenses failed to put up 100 yards on the ground and just notched a miserly 200+ yards through the air. There were 8 punts in the first half alone and little excitement for the neutral. It was a tense, tactical game of football that certainly did not provide the fantasy numbers managers would have hoped.
As the tight game entered the fourth quarter, it became a familiar tale. After a promising drive stunted in the the red zone, the Chargers kicked a field goal to nudge them a point ahead, however giving the ball back to Mahomes with just over four minutes on the clock proved costly as the Chiefs mastered yet another end-of-game situation and walked away with the win without the Chargers getting a chance to respond. The Chiefs are…inevitable.
Three Up
- Joshua Palmer – a really nice outing from the wideout, who stood up with Ladd McConkey out injured to make some big plays and lead the team in catches and yards.
- Quentin Johnston – shaking off a couple of barren weeks plagued by drops, Johnston made a couple of big catches in contested situations – he also added a touchdown.
- Isiah Pacheco – the stats may not stand out, but Pacheco took back the backfield in this game with some tough runs and intelligent play – he should be a lock to go off in the fantasy playoffs.
Three Down
- Will Dissly – those hoping for a tight end bump from the thus-far productive Dissly saw their dreams disappear to the tune of just two catches for 19 yards before he was forced from the game with a shoulder injury.
- Kimani Vidal – given the opportunity to start, the rookie found little room to run against a stout Chris Jones and the Chiefs’ defensive line – the Chargers quickly pivoted to the hot hand, and Edwards took over and ran in for a score.
- Noah Gray – on a night when no Chiefs receiver hit 50 yards, emerging tight end Gray was probably the biggest disappointment of all.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 21/30, 213 Yards, TD, 3 Sacks | 4 Carries, 12 Yards
There was never going to be a shootout in this tactical battle, but Herbert was impressive, connecting with eight different receivers whilst also throwing for a touchdown to give the Chargers a one-point lead midway through the third quarter. Herbert battled through three three-and-outs in the first half as the ground game offered nothing once again. He took a helmet hit to the knee just before halftime, and he was seen moving gingerly on the sideline as he exited for just one play. He returned for the second half and immediately orchestrated a 13-play, 79-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion to Palmer for 15 yards. Herbert seemed to gain confidence from that throw and backed it up with another two scoring drives. However, the Chiefs expertly managed the clock to give him no time to answer back late at the end of the game. Herbert is probably a better real-life quarterback now than he ever has been, but that has come at a price for fantasy owners.
Taylor Heinicke: 1 Carry, 12 Yards
Running Back
Gus Edwards: 10 Carries, 36 Yards, TD
Running the ball in for just the second time this season on a three-yard carry, Gus Edwards gave the Chargers hope with their first points of the game on the opening drive of the second half. It was still tough going for the Chargers on the ground as they notched just six rushing first downs in the entire contest. Edwards split the backfield with rookie Vidal, who started the contest but failed to make an impact. Edwards averaged 3.6 yards per carry and certainly established himself with the more productive runs in the second half. Whether that is enough to earn more of a share next time out is yet to be determined.
Kimani Vidal: 8 Carries, 34 Yards | 1 Target
Despite seeing a bump in touches, Vidal made little impact and was again not involved as a pass-catcher as the Chargers continued to stagnate on the ground in the absence of J.K. Dobbins. After seeing running mate Edwards get the upper hand early in the second half, Vidal touched the ball just four more times for nine yards after the Chargers scored on their first drive of the half. There is little fantasy hope here.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Joshua Palmer: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 78 Yards
It was all eyes on Palmer and Johnston as the Chargers looked to replace the prolific fantasy production of rookie Ladd McConkey. To the eye, it was Palmer who laid out time and time again for his quarterback as he hauled in difficult grabs on four separate occasions, including on a key fourth down on the opening touchdown drive of the second half that gave the visitors hope. Palmer was the go-to guy on third down, too, extending the second touchdown drive of the half. Most of his yardage came on a terrific grab for 38 yards in the first half, with the Chargers deep in their own territory. Unfortunately, that drive went nowhere and ended up in a punt.
Stone Smart: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 54 Yards
The unheralded tight end has knocked around the Chargers for the past three seasons without seeing much opportunity, and he came into this game with three catches on the entire season. He announced himself with a terrific grab for 21 yards that put the Chargers in the red zone at the start of the second half. He backed up that grab with another two impressive grabs for 24 yards and 9 yards in the second half. With tight end Dissly now looking likely to miss time, Smart could see more looks going forward.
Quentin Johnston: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards, TD
The polarizing wideout has struggled with drops over the past month, but he came up big with two outstanding catches, including a 21-yard grab over the middle that he knew was going to result in a big hit. Johnston took it and held onto the ball, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty to boot. The reaction of his coach and teammates on the sideline was telling – with that catch alone, he earned their trust. He was limited to just four more grabs for short yardage, but one of those was in the endzone to account for his quarterback’s only passing score. He remains the best bet for a touchdown in this receiving corps.
Will Dissly: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards
DJ Chark: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Jalen Reagor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Derius Davis: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 1 Yard | 1 Carry, 0 Yards
Tucker Fisk: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: 24/37, 210 Yards, TD, 3 Sacks | 4 Carries, 17 Yards
It was another case of Mahomes lifting his offense above the average to get over the line once again as the Chiefs squandered a 13-point lead at the half to trail in the fourth quarter. Mahomes threw a touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins with a dart before halftime to put Kansas City in a dominant position in a low-scoring game that saw both defenses serve as disruptors. There were no attempts deep downfield as Mahomes played conservative and close to the line of scrimmage. He averaged just 5.7 yards per completion and used all his flexibility to engineer throws across the formations – many looked like off-script throws when his initial reads failed, including a beautiful flick of the wrist to float a ball across the field to the opposite side to hit Xavier Worthy for a third down completion. When it mattered the most, however, he came up with the goods thanks to a time-sapping 14-play drive for just 45 yards – Mahomes threw a laser on third and long with two minutes remaining deep in Chargers territory to eventually kick the game-winning field goal after a couple of kneel downs. Job done.
This 14.10 fantasy point performance was Mahomes’ 11th sub-20 point fantasy in 13 games this season. He is the fantasy QB11 on the season so far, a long way shy of the heights he has reached in previous seasons. Without a severe offensive upgrade in the offseason, he will see his ADP drop once again next year.
Running Back
Isiah Pacheco: 14 Carries, 55 Yards | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards
For the first time since returning from his ankle injury, Pacheco got the start and dominated touches in the backfield in favor of Kareem Hunt. With the Chiefs wrapping up the AFC West with this win, Andy Reid will want to ensure his lead back gets enough touches to be full go in the playoffs, so this should serve fantasy managers well over the next couple of weeks. Pacheco showed his usual high-stepping, downhill style on a couple of nice runs, including a strong 9-yard gain through tackles. That served to be his longest run, however, as the Chargers stuffed the box and didn’t allow the Chiefs space over the middle at the next level. He never troubled the goal line, however, and this modest total was due to a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry. In real football terms, however, it was a statement performance and a clear hurdle cleared on his way back to fantasy relevance over the next few weeks.
Kareem Hunt: 5 Carries, 16 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Samaje Perine: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Travis Kelce: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 45 Yards
It was lean pickings through the air for the Chiefs receiving corps, who totaled their lowest passing yards since Week 11 at Buffalo. Travis Kelce led the team in catches and yardages, and most of that damage was done on two plays: the first, a 12-yard gain on the fourth play of the game, and the second, a 13-yard grab to take his team into the red zone on their touchdown drive before half time. On a down night for fantasy production, Kelce at least outscored his young prodigy Noah Gray, who caught only four balls for a meager 24 yards in low-leverage situations.
Xavier Worthy: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards | 1 Carry, 5 Yards
The tape was very good from the rookie this week, and he is showing signs of maturity and patience as he learns the playbook and develops a relationship with his quarterback. Worthy hasn’t provided the big play ability enough this season, and today was a day to do that, but he never really got a chance to show off his wheels. He was efficient in his five catches, however, and showed a nice understanding of his route tree. This can only be a good sign going forward.
DeAndre Hopkins: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 32 Yards, TD
Double-teamed for the majority of this contest, the veteran Hopkins showed his worth to this Chiefs team by hauling in a 9-yard touchdown pass in the end zone for the first touchdown of the day late in the first half. Hopkins showed physical toughness and an outstanding catch radius on his touchdown pass. He caught less than 50% of the balls thrown his way, however, and to be honest, two of them should have been called for defensive pass interference. But this is why Kansas City went out and got a man of his caliber to make plays when they need it the most in tight spots. That’s exactly what he did here.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
Noah Gray: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 26 Yards
Baylor Cupp: 1 Target