The Week 11 finale comes to you live from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as the 6-4 Kansas City Chiefs look to keep their lead in the AFC West as they battle the 4-6 Los Angeles Chargers. After last years Mexico City game was relocated due to bad field conditions, the Chiefs had to make sure they weren’t risking the health of superstar Quarterback Patrick Mahomes by putting him on the field. Conditions aside, both teams are looking to rebound from tight losses in week 10. These teams are no strangers to close games, as their combined 10 losses have all been one possession games.
With starting Left Tackle Eric Fisher finally healthy for the Chiefs, this will be the first time since week 1 that all of their offense will be at full strength. This is crucial as the Chargers have a star-studded defensive line including Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, who have combined for a total of nine sacks over the last four games. The re-addition of their star LT won’t help with their ball security issues, as the Chiefs have surrendered 28 points off turnovers in their four losses, primarily coming from fumbles.
Over the past few weeks the Chargers have made a concerted effort to establish a presence on the ground, as Melvin Gordon has logged over 20 carries in the previous two games. This will be an area the Chargers look to exploit as the Chiefs are allowing 148 Yards/game on the ground at a rate of 5.1 yards/carry.
On the other side, the Chiefs will look to expose the Chargers struggling secondary, who are in desperate needs of their all pro safety Derwin James who is still recovering from injury. The Chargers rank in the bottom 7 in categories such as Completion Percentage, QB Rating, and Yards/Attempt. The Chiefs have had lots of success in the vertical passing game against the Chargers Cover 3 defense, and with the speed of Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman on the outside, expect to see Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes takes some shots downfield.
Both teams should be able to move the ball at a good pace, but the winner will be determined by who can capitalize and turn their possessions into touchdowns. If the Chiefs can keep Mahomes protected throughout the game, they should be able to connect on some big plays. Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense has been a wild card so far this season, and they need the absolute best out of him if they want to leave Mexico City with a victory.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Chargers 24
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