Andrew Ortenberg
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Week 15 is officially underway. We had one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the week as the Los Angeles Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The thrilling game went to overtime, with the Chiefs emerging with a 34-28 comeback victory.
It had massive implications for the AFC West, with the Chiefs now holding a two-game lead in the division. Let’s break down everything we just saw:
Chiefs make it 7 in a row
How quickly things change in the NFL…. It wasn’t too long ago that the Chiefs were at rock bottom, and people were starting to question whether or not they would make the playoffs — let alone another Super Bowl. Kansas City has responded with seven straight wins, this most recent one over the Chargers.
Los Angeles looked like a surefire cover late in the game, but the Chiefs ended up covering the spread — which ranged from -4 to -3 depending on what point you bet it during the week. Kansas City’s touchdown in overtime also swung the game over the total.
A lot of people are going to be declaring the Chiefs as clear favorites to come out of the AFC again. But I’m not sure we should give them too much praise for this win over the Chargers. It took the kind of collapse that only Los Angeles can accomplish on a regular basis.
And five of the Chiefs’ previous six wins had come at home, often against subpar competition. They have caught a ton of breaks in the schedule, like when they got to face the Packers with Jordan Love at quarterback (and didn’t win convincingly). The win over the Chargers likely secured the AFC West title yet again, but I’m not so sure all their issues are solved as we prepare to enter the postseason.
WOW
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/7nPc37mAEH
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) December 17, 2021
Chargers have all-time Charger loss
The Chargers out-Chargered themselves on Thursday. They have always been able to pull off incredible collapses in games they should’ve won, but this one was especially painful. Their offense moved the ball at-will for most of the game, and their first and only punt came with just seconds left in the fourth quarter.
L.A. was up eight with less than eight minutes left. Then the Bolts went up seven with less than three minutes left. And they blew it both times. Unfortunately for all us fans, Justin Herbert never even got to touch the ball in overtime. And it was thoroughly unsurprising. Anyone who has ever watched a Chargers game had no doubt they were going to lose that OT coin toss.
Los Angeles has the talent to beat anybody and make some noise in the playoffs, but it can never seem to put it all together when it matters most. The future is still bright, but the Chargers are running out of time to fix the defense this season. Even still, if they can just grab a wild-card spot nobody is going to want to go up against Herbert in the playoffs; he’s simply unbelievable. And the upside he gives them might have me interested in taking a nibble on some Chargers futures after this loss that should be available at better prices.
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