Chiefs Rely On Complementary Depth, Outlast Chargers

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In what was expected to be a tight contest, Thursday night’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers did not disappoint. Each quarterback may not have had great days, overall. Though, there were a handful of perfect throws on each side that left defenders shaking their heads. Both teams had to lean on the running backs in different spots. Finally, there were many impact plays made by the defense. This included getting pressure in the opposing quarterback’s face, creating turnovers and laying big hits down the field.

In the end, the Chiefs were able to come back and grind out a tough, gritty division game. Their 27-24 victory over the Chargers was not unlike some of the recent battles between these two teams. It not only came down to the wire. Yet, it also showed the brilliant depth from both the Chiefs and the Chargers.

Luckily for Kansas City, they have worked tirelessly to reconstruct their roster for this season. They have simply added stronger depth to the premium positions like wide receiver, the defensive line and the secondary. That showed greatly in the tight moments against Los Angeles on Thursday night. As a result, that will be the main subject of our FPC Chiefs Week 2 reaction article. You love to see the dazzling plays by Patrick Mahomes and the offense. But, Kansas City appears to have more balance and stability this season, if that last item feels any pressure. Let’s kick it off.

Speed And Versatility On Defensive Line

During the offseason, the Chiefs talked about wanting to get both more physical and faster on defense. They were able to add part of that with one of their first-round picks. Rookie George Karlaftis is a relentless wrecking ball, blowing up anyone who comes in his path. On Thursday night, he showed off some of his burst and closing speed late in the game, getting Justin Herbert off rhythm. A depth option like Carlos Dunlap had a stellar showing on Thursday as well. With his length, tenacity and get off at the snap, Kansas City added a reliable veteran who knows how to adjust his attack throughout the game. He was all around the ball on crucial downs against the Chargers.

You even saw some of the speed and versatility flash from some incumbent Chiefs defensive linemen. What a start it has been for Chris Jones in the first two games. Against the Chargers, he finished with two sacks, two quarterback hits and a pass breakup. Simply put, he was making plays all over the place for the Chiefs defense. Lastly, depth players like Mike Danna made their presence felt for a couple of big hits on Herbert. On the play where the Chargers passer injured his left side late in the game, Danna made a crunching hit just as he released the ball.

This may not be the deepest or even the fastest defensive line in the NFL. Nonetheless, this group finally has the depth and abilities that fully fits Steve Spagnuolo‘s scheme. He can continue to disguise blitzes, while also knowing that this Chiefs defensive line can get home quicker than most of the recent Kansas City groups upfront.

Youthful Secondary Steps Up In Difficult Matchup

It was unfortunate to see rookie Trent McDuffie already go down in Week 1, where he suffered a hamstring injury. That forced the Chiefs to place him on injured reserve. In the end, he will have to miss at least four games, starting with Thursday against the Chargers. He played well against Arizona before getting hurt. On the other hand, this gave another rookie a major opportunity against a dynamic LA passing attack.

Jaylen Watson was not necessarily perfect on Thursday night. But, he held his own in vital situations and displayed a certain calmness that kept Kansas City in striking distance early. Of course, his 99-yard interception returned for a touchdown well give the rookie a major boost. It basically altered all of the momentum to Kansas City’s favor. The Washington State product has the length and size to frustrate opponents. Though, one should not discredit the instincts of Watson, even as a seventh-round rookie draft pick.

Elsewhere on the backend, the Chiefs saw some other newcomers step up in tight spots against the Chargers. Justin Reid had an important pass breakup on a third down to get Kansas City off the field. The former Texan also proved that you could rely on his tackling ability and hitting power, as a couple of striking hits caught the Chargers off guard. Let’s not forget about how tight the coverage was from guys like L’Jarius Sneed. Even if Herbert completed tremendous throws against tight windows, the Chiefs saw a transforming secondary step up when it mattered most.

Running Back Rotation Displays Unique Change Of Pace

The Chiefs will obviously not be leading the league in rushing any time soon. At the same time, there have been some encouraging improvements shown during the first two games. The Kansas City rushing attack has appeared to be much more difficult to corral at the point of attack. Moreover, the Chiefs running backs are making more urgent decisions when forced to read blocks.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire has had a nice first two games. Late against the Chargers, he was able to break tackles and bounce off of opponents when Kansas City needed him to get some tough, extra yards. Meanwhile, the reads and reactions by Jerick McKinnon in space are a major boost to the Chiefs offense. Some of that came to the forefront on his touchdown reception early against LA on Thursday night.

Isiah Pacheco may not have seen as much offensive time this week. Even still, KC knows that they have a better mix of traits at the running back position in 2022. That was a crucial part in the offense’s ability to grind out the win and support a dependable Chiefs defensive showing.

Building Off This Kind Of Win

Every Chiefs fan wants to see a dominant performance from Mahomes each week. That cannot always be the case, however. On Thursday night against a commanding Chargers defense, Mahomes felt the pressure in the pocket many times and had to settle for many short throws. It was not an easy day for the offense. Nevertheless, the Chiefs found a way to adjust and create chunk gains in different ways. They were able to hit on a handful of longer passes, like the touchdown pass to Justin Watson. However, the Chiefs showed more comfort than what we have previously seen, if the continued deep shots are not connecting.

This was a tough, tight game against arguably the greatest challenge within the AFC West. Kansas City had some things happen in this game that they will look to clean up quickly. On the flip side, they sit alone atop the AFC West at 2-0 after this win. There is also something to be said about grinding out a comeback this early in the season, especially with plenty of new faces. It was not the traditional way of winning for the Chiefs. Kansas City’s depth and adjustments should continue to make them that much tougher to stop, however. A win like this propels that.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout next week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.