The Los Angeles Chargers lost their second straight game after they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-27, at home in Week 11 of the 2022 NFL season. Now at 5-5, the Chargers are in second place in the AFC West. Here we'll discuss the four Chargers most to blame for their Week 11 loss vs. the Chiefs.
The Chargers showed in Week 11 that they had the ability to compete with the Chiefs. The Bolts traded blows with their more fancied rivals, and the game really came down to the dying seconds.
However, for the second time this season, the Chargers just couldn't finish the job against their feared division opponents. This Sunday Night Football left the Chargers locker room frustrated. It was, of course, reminiscent of their 27-24 loss at Arrowhead Stadium way back in Week 2.
Let us look at the four Chargers most to blame for their Week 11 loss vs. the Chiefs.
stay together, get better.
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— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 21, 2022
4. S Derwin James
Some Chargers fans have always viewed safety Derwin James as some sort of Travis Kelce stopper. Given Kelce's success against the Chargers, however, the reality is that this is such a tough matchup for James. The fact of the matter is that James' presence on defense hasn't slowed Kelce much in the handful of times they've played against each other.
Keep in mind that Kelce has had 37 receptions for 551 yards and 6 touchdowns in his previous five games against the Chargers. Now, obviously, James has not been paired up with Kelce in every single snap, but if James is as good as many claim, then he should have been able to somewhat limit Kelce's production, right?
In this game, James had no effect on Kelce's game-winning score in the fourth quarter as the Chiefs booked their eighth win of the season. Remember, too, that Kelce finished with 115 receiving yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. James as the “Travis Kelce stopper?” We think not.
3. Offensive Line
This week's pass protection was not really effective. I mean, just ask Chargers QB Justin Herbert. He got sacked a season-high five times! Take note that the Chargers had only allowed 13 sacks entering this game. That was the fewest in the NFL prior to Week 11. That was due to Herbert's uncanny ability to navigate the pocket and avoid negative plays in addition to an offensive line that performed above expectations.
On Sunday, however, the o-line's failure weighed very heavily on Herbert, who could only do so much to prevent the Chiefs pass rush. The Chargers' Jamaree Salyer and Matt Feiler allowed two Mike Danna sacks. The line also moved away from a blitzing Willie Gay, allowing him to get an unassisted sack. Herbert attempted to flee but was wrapped up by Chris Jones. Basically, it was the worst performance of Herbert's pass protection this season.
2. Defense
The Chargers defense was awful. So awful, in fact, that they allowed a season-worst 485 total yards as Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes finished with 329. Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco had 107 yards rushing and the aforementioned Kelce was just unstoppable. Kelce also scored three touchdowns for the first time in his career.
In the postgame locker room, Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill summed it up best.
“If you want to be a great defense you have to close out games,” he said. “We didn't do that on the last drive.”
Again, the Chargers were very much in this game. They had a golden chance at an upset, as they led 27-23 with 1 minute and 46 seconds left in regulation.
The Chiefs, though, marched 75 yards in six plays for the game-winning touchdown. As we've often seen, Mahomes connected with Kelce for a 17-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining. Earlier in the drive, a Mahomes incompletion set up fourth-and-4 at midfield for the Bolts. However, James was called for a questionable holding penalty, and the Chiefs scored three plays later.
Tranquill credited Mahomes and Kelce for coming through. He also bemoaned the Chargers' third-down defense, which allowed five conversions on ten attempts. In terms of the Chargers pass rush, they managed only one sack on Mahomes all night. Interestingly enough, that sack was by James.
1. Coach Brandon Staley
Since Brandon Staley became head coach of the Chargers, the club has undoubtedly been the most aggressive group in the NFL. Staley, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically more reserved in his decision-making on Sunday.
To illustrate, the Chargers punted on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line late in the third quarter rather than going for it. In previous games faced with the same situation, Staley went for it on fourth down. This time around, though, he strangely opted for the punt.
“I really felt like flipping the field position there was the right thing to do,” Staley said. “The game was even, and I didn’t want to swing the momentum their way. We had been stopped on a couple of short-yardage plays. I just felt like our defense was playing at a high enough level and wanted to give our defense a chance to compete.”
After the Chargers punted, the Chiefs then went on a 10-play, 86-yard drive that culminated in Kelce's 32-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Ouch.
Yes, Kansas City is one of the best in the league, but this kind of decision-making has been a season-long problem. If the first half isn't flat, the second half will be. This team has just been consistently inconsistent. It is surely not a player issue, so we suspect it's a coaching issue. Something needs to change, though any change likely won't happen this season. Still, it appears that Brandon Staley and his staff should be looking over their shoulders with each passing week. The only thing that can maybe save them is if the Bolts manage to make it to the playoffs.
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