23.11.2018, 03:31
Chiefs Chargers Football is back!For the last three years http://www.sandiegochargersteamonline.co...ams-jersey , I’ve predicted the Chargers to finish with a 10-6 record. In the first two of those, they made it to 9 wins. Combined. However, a 9-7 record last year after an 0-4 start lends a lot of reasons to be optimistic, and we’re feeding into that optimism with three reasons the Chargers will beat the Chiefs on Sunday:#1: The Chiefs defense is a big weaknessHere’s the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart heading into the season opener:All offseason, people have been ridiculing the Chiefs defense, using their perceived weakness as a way to drive home their point. If I had a dollar for every time I heard “the Chiefs may need to score 35 points just to stay in a game this year!” I’d be able to buy the damn team myself.Point is: This is a bad, bad defense. There are a few exceptions: Xavier Williams is excellent against the run, Chris Jones has the potential to make life difficult for opposing teams, and Kendall Fuller is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league. Realistically, however, this is one of the weakest defenses the Chargers will play all year, if not the weakest. There’s a whole lot of replacement level talent starting, and not a lot of... well, genuine talent. Eric Berry is one of the best safeties in the league when he plays, but he hasn’t practised all week with a heel injury, and isn’t expected to suit up for this one.The Chiefs defense were bad last year Womens Austin Ekeler Jersey , but with the loss of Marcus Peters (and I understand why they traded him), they’re looking like taking another step backwards. That’s great news for a Chargers team hoping to snap a four year losing streak against Kansas City on Sunday.#2: The Chiefs CBs vs Chargers WRsThe Chiefs do have one genuinely talented CB, as Kendall Fuller (as aforementioned) is one of the best slot CBs in the league. However, it’s rumoured that the Chiefs are going to look to use him outside this year, rather than just exclusively in the slot. With that in mind, I think it’s possible that Bob Sutton might use Kendall Fuller to shadow Keenan Allen this week, with #13 looking set to play a mixture of slot and outside WR this season. Shadowing the opposing #1 isn’t usually Bob Sutton’s style - he kept Marcus Peters on one side of the field, rather than match him up specifically - but when the other two starting CBs on the Chiefs are Steven Nelson and Orlando Scandrick, he may have his hand forced. If Allen draws Nelson or Scandrick for most of the day, he could easily grab 15 passes for 150 and a couple of TDs. There are very few CBs capable of going one-on-one with Keenan Allen, and Steven Nelson and Orlando Scandrick are nowhere near.Even if Fuller is able to erase Allen for most of the day - and, spoiler alert, he won’t be - Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams have to like their chances against two mediocre, smaller CBs (Nelson is listed at a generous 5’11 and Scandrick at a probably accurate 5’10).Philip Rivers was awful against the Chiefs last year, but Marcus Peters was the root cause of that. Without Peters to torment Rivers, he should be in line for a big day come Sunday.#3: Patrick Mahomes is still getting used to the NFLSigh...It’s begun.If you aren’t sure of the context Womens Darius Philon Jersey , I guess it would be fair to say I was fairly high on Patrick Mahomes coming out of Texas Tech.Then the worst happened, and I didn’t want to accept fate:Unfortunately, that wasn’t a dream. Mahomes really is a Chief, and he’s just been given the keys to the franchise. I (unsurprisingly) think he’s going to be really good - probably a Hall of Famer by the time he hangs up his cleats - and I don’t foresee the terrible start for Mahomes this year that other analysts may do (but I wouldn’t, would I?)If there was a good time to play Mahomes, however, Week 1 in his first ‘meaningful’ NFL action is pretty perfect. There’s naturally going to be some nerves, and it’s going to take some time for him to fully click with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce in a real game, despite the highlights you’ve seen from preseason.It’s hard to know whether Mahomes is going to come out slinging like only he can, or whether he’s going to keep things safe in an attempt to ease himself into the game and the NFL in general. Regardless of what the plan is early on, the Chiefs are likely going to need some big plays from Mahomes at some point with the state of their defense, and that means he’s going to have to take some chances.Mahomes was superb in college at taking chances, but at this level the defenders are smarter, quicker, and better. Joey Bosa might be out Authentic Casey Hayward Jersey , but Melvin Ingram is still there to rush the passer, and Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams and Desmond King aren’t going to make life easy for the Chiefs WRs downfield. Mahomes is going to (hopefully) take some time to learn what he can no longer get away with at this level, and the Chargers are lucky enough to be the team that get to teach him first. I hope Mahomes has a notebook ready. Coach Sean McDermott believes the Buffalo Bills gained something from enduring their second-most lopsided loss in franchise history.And he's not yet ready to make a change at quarterback.After making the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons last year, the Bills have serious issues after Sunday's 47-3 loss at Baltimore.On Monday, McDermott praised his team's effort and intensity in the opener, while acknowledging the Bills need to perform better in all areas."We'll learn from that tape," McDermott said. "I'm convinced of that."McDermott declined to indicate whether he will make a switch at quarterback from opening day starter Nathan Peterman to rookie Josh Allen for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers."We're going to continue to evaluate where we are, dotting the I's and crossing the T's, and taking it one step at a time," McDermott said.Peterman barely made it out of the third quarter in his third career start. He was 5 of 18 passing for 24 yards with two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 0.0 before getting pulled with the Bills trailing 40-0. The Bills did not gain a first down in the first half with Peterman at quarterback."This is a quarterback-driven league and I thought there were times where we did some things that were on target, and some times where we weren't on target," McDermott said. "We have to get better in every area at what we are doing, not just the quarterback position."Peterman won the preseason competition with Allen, the quarterback Buffalo traded up to draft seventh overall out of Wyoming, and veteran AJ McCarron Womens Derwin James Jersey , who has since been traded to the Raiders.If Peterman hangs on to the starting job, he'll have to face the Chargers defense that intercepted him five times in the first half of his first career start last November.McDermott's decision to bench starter Tyrod Taylor in favor of Peterman last year nearly derailed the Bills' season after a promising start. But Taylor rallied the Bills to a 9-7 finish and they beat out the Ravens for the final AFC playoff spot."You saw what we did with some of those moments last year," McDermott said. "We learned from those and I'm convinced and confident that our team will continue to learn from this experience."Taylor was traded to Cleveland in the offseason to clear the way for the Bills' young quarterbacks.Allen was marginally better than Peterman against the Ravens. He completed 6 of 15 passes for 74 yards, ran for 26 yards and guided the Bills on their only scoring drive.McDermott has repeated throughout the preseason that the Bills wish to take a patient approach in developing Allen."There's a lot of things that go into that decision," McDermott said. "It's not just as simple as some might think. There's a lot of hands in that jar."Buffalo's rebuilt offensive line struggled to protect either quarterback, allowing six sacks.The Bills' 153 yards were the fewest they've had in a game since gaining 145 in a 40-7 loss at Chicago on Oct. 8, 2006.The Bills gave up touchdowns on all six of the Ravens' drives into the red zone. They allowed 26 first-half points, more than they allowed in the first half of all but one game last season, trailing only the 37 points allowed in the loss to the Chargers."That's part of the journey on the way to success," McDermott said. "It's never a straight line. It's never as clean as people think it is, and it's something that we have to continue to work through."