The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium this afternoon in a highly anticipated AFC West showdown in Week 6.
Kansas City is fresh off a bye week and will look to keep its perfect record intact against the winless Chargers in a matchup that should be one of the best contests on the NFL's Sunday slate.
Take a look at Chiefs Wire's staff predictions for Kansas City's Week 6 tilt with Los Angeles:
Ed Easton Jr.'s prediction
The Kansas City Chiefs return from their early bye week with games and opportunities ahead. The winless Los Angeles Chargers enter Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with an upset on their mind in the latest AFC West showdown.
Without Tyquan Thornton, the offense will need to lean on the passing game, and Jalen
Royals and Cyrus Allen should see more snaps. The Chargers defense will likely focus on stopping Kenneth Walker III as his star continues to rise in Kansas City. Travis Kelce is due for a big game after a seemingly quiet Week 4 outing against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Defensively, the Chiefs need to keep pressuring the quarterback and end their sackless streak. The Chargers are struggling this season and need big plays to shift momentum. A strong message defensively will break the upset spirit early.
Final score: Chiefs 38, Chargers 20
Samuel Teets' prediction
This is a potential trap game for the Chiefs. The Chargers are reeling after an ugly 0-5 start that saw many of their star players and coaches underperform significantly. At some point, Justin Herbert must start looking like a Pro Bowler, but Steve Spagnuolo’s defense possesses the depth and playmakers to prevent the Chargers from finding their footing.
The Chiefs enter this week needing to find some answers in their wide receiver room. Losing Tyquan Thornton for the year significantly limits the offense’s ability to stretch defenses. Fortunately, Los Angeles’ struggling defense provides the Chiefs with a chance to test replacements. Maybe that means Xavier Worthy spends more time pushing vertically while Cyrus Allen or Jalen Royals become regulars in the rotation.
Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater won’t play on Sunday. The Chiefs have the opportunity to give their young pass rushers significant snaps and build some momentum heading into their matchup against Seattle next week.
Final score: Chiefs 30, Chargers 17
Jon Ediger's prediction
The undefeated Chiefs take on the winless Chargers this week in what is expected to be an exciting AFC West matchup.
After losing wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton to injury in Week 4, Kansas City will have to lean on its deep receiving corps to secure a victory against Los Angeles. The Chargers will likely focus their defense on running back Kenneth Walker, which should open up the passing game for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Walker will certainly be a key part of Kansas City's offense on Sunday, but don't expect a dominant performance.
The Chiefs' defense has struggled to pressure opposing passers this season, but it will have a prime opportunity against underperforming quarterback Justin Herbert. With offensive tackle Joe Alt officially out of Sunday's matchup, Kansas City's front seven should have no problem finding Herbert in the backfield.
Final score: Chiefs 27, Chargers 23
John Dillon's prediction
Kansas City won't be able to let its foot off the gas if the Chiefs intend to keep their perfect record alive for another week.
While the Chargers have been one of the NFL's most disappointing teams this season, Kansas City should be wary of Los Angeles' high-octane offense — especially star quarterback Justin Herbert, who can stuff the stat sheet as well as any signal-caller in the league.
On paper, this game should be an easy win for the Chiefs, especially given Andy Reid's outstanding track record after bye weeks.
But I suspect that the Chargers will have a few tricks up their sleeve for Kansas City in this rivalry matchup, and I don't think the Chiefs will easily secure their fifth victory of the season without some late-game heroics by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
In the end, I'll pick Kansas City to win in a game that will be far closer than most pundits expect.
Final score: Chiefs 24, Chargers 22
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Predictions for Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6
