Chargers vs Chiefs Game Preview: Predictions and Picks | NFL Week 15

Chargers vs Chiefs Game Preview: Predictions and Picks | NFL Week 15

What’s up everyone? I’m Jacqueline D. Augustino. Welcome in to a fresh hour of CBS Sports HQ presented by American Legion. One family, one mission, one legion. When veterans need support, your donation makes it happen. Donate at legion.org/donate. As we enter week 15 in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs are in win now mode. Now, that’s not something that we’re used to saying, especially this time of the year. The Chargers, they are looking to sweep the Chiefs. Remember, let’s rewind all the way back to week one in Brazil when the Chargers beat the Chiefs. And the last time that the Chargers swept the Chiefs, we got to go all the way back to 2013. And who was the quarterback of that Chargers team for the sweep? None other than NFL veteran Philip Rivers. Still going strong at it at 44 years old. Now, Rivers could potentially make his first start in the NFL for the Colts on Sunday as they take on a very difficult opponent in the Seahawks. It would be Philip Rivers first start in the NFL since January of 2021. Um Shane Styen of course not saying whether or not it’s going to be Philip Rivers or Riley Leonard behind center in week 15, but of course we will keep you posted. The story lines are abundant for week 15 in the NFL. Let’s circle back to Chargers and Chiefs. And for that, we have our very own Melanie Collins who’s going to be on the sideline for that matchup. Melanie, thanks so much for joining us. Chargers, they’re currently in the playoff picture. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but KC on the outside looking in. We kind of know what’s at stake, but let’s start with the Kansas City side of things because it seems a little bit more intense for the Chiefs. It It certainly is. I don’t know if it’s crazier that we’re talking about Philip Rivers potentially returning to the NFL or the situation that the Chiefs are in in week 15. This is something that they have not experienced since Mahomes became the starter in 2018. They have been to seven consecutive AFC Championship games. Uh their their earliest exit was in overtime of the AFC Championship game twice, once to Brady, once to Burough. So, this is absolutely uncharted territory for the Chiefs. Right now they have about an 11% chance at making the playoffs. So they know the situation is dire, but if they lose on Sunday, their chances fall below 1%. So this is absolutely a must-win game for the Chiefs. They know it. The vibe around the building is tight this week. They I fully expect them to come out on Sunday firing. Um this is this is certainly uncharted territory for the Chiefs. They know this is a must-win. Yeah, and we’ll get to the vibes in the building for Kansas City in just a moment. But want to talk about both quarterbacks here because neither one of them are completely healthy. I mean, really, who is at this point in the season? But we know that Herbert has that hand injury and then Mahomes dealing with a knee injury. So, what is the latest on both of the quarterbacks and the injuries that they’re dealing with? Yeah. So, we know Justin Herbert had surgery on his left non-throwing hand on December 1st, so a little bit less than two weeks ago. uh certainly didn’t seem to affect him whatsoever against the Eagles on Monday night. He was out there throwing stiff arms like it was nobody’s business. We’re told he has not had any setbacks. Uh so it should be feeling even better this week. The key for him on Sunday, I think, is going to be keeping it warm. Um this is going to be a cold weather game. We’ll get to that in a moment, but I think that’ll be the biggest key for Justin Herbert is just keeping the hand warm. Um, as for Patrick Mahomes, we know that he’s been dealing with a left knee injury. He told us he fell on that knee a couple of weeks ago. Um, we saw on Sunday night against the Texans in between drives they were putting a heating pad on his left knee trying to keep it warm and loose. We talked to Patrick Mahomes yesterday and he told us the knee is feeling pretty good, about as good as it can feel at, you know, week 15 of any NFL season. But um he said that on Thursday, Wednesday was just a walkthrough, but on Thursday he was going to get out there and try and roll around a little bit, scramble outside the pocket and just see what he was able to do. He told us he does not anticipate having any limitations with the knee on Sunday, but he admitted it is not 100%. It is not feeling great. Um so that’s certainly what we’re going to keep an eye on from the injury standpoint for both quarterbacks and how Mahomes will keep that warm. I would I would assume again they will have that heated um brace that they were putting on and on the sideline in between drives on Sunday. So that’s a big story line for this game is is the health of both quarterbacks from that standpoint. Yeah, we know Patrick Mahomes whether it’s a knee, an ankle, whatever it’s going to be, he’s going to go out there and give it 500%. Literally every single time literally. And and we talked about it, right, Melanie? Unchartered territory for Kansas City. So what is their mindset here knowing what is on the line? because we’ve heard Patrick Mahomes in press conferences say like, “Hey, we have to win out.” And then they’ve lost since then. So really, what is what is their mindset here when they know that there is the playoffs to lose? Their mindset this week has been back to work. Um they know that there’s only so much they can control here and that starts with a win on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes told us they are absolutely treating this like it’s a playoff game. It’s really challenged this core group of leaders from a leadership standpoint because they’ve not really had to lead from this place before. And Andy Reid told us that these guys, they’re a proud group and they were honestly embarrassed by what took place on Sunday against the Texans only putting up 10 points, all of the drops that happened. So, their mindset is back to work. And I thought it was so cool Andy Reid told us that although this core group of leaders really hasn’t been in this place before, he has. Um, Andy Reid is one of the most tenured NFL coaches in the league right now. And he referred back to 2008 when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. And he remembers they were running out of the tunnel. Week 17, back when the NFL season was only 17 games. They were playing the Dallas Cowboys and they needed two teams to lose in the 1:00 window. Both those teams lost and they found out running out of the tunnel that they just needed to beat the Cowboys and they were in. And Andy was so funny. He had this smirk on his face and he said, “We got after him a little bit.” Well, I looked up the final score. They beat the Cowboys 44-6 in that game and went on to go to the NFC Championship game. They lost in the NFC Championship game against the Cardinals, but they made it all the way there. And he is using that as a reference to the players this week to say, “Look, this is the NFL. Anything is possible. We’re just going to control what we can control.” And as Chris Jones told us, at the end of the day, they have Patrick Mahomes, and anything is possible when Patrick Mahomes is your quarterback. Exactly. Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid. I feel like those two are part of the reason why we will not write off the Chiefs until it is absolutely set in stone. Now, I know of course, as you mentioned, you talked to multiple Chiefs players and coaches ahead of this game. So, what have they told you about trying to contain Justin Herbert, especially if it becomes, you know, a very close one-score game? Because Kansas City in the past, they’ve been able to finish in those scenarios, but we know divisional games, they get tight, they get wonky. So, if it does come down to that, how are they best going to approach it in terms of Justin Herbert and containing him? Yeah, that’s a great point and that’s one of the biggest keys in this game for this Chiefs defense. Justin Herbert has been so good with his legs this season. It’s it’s part of his game that we saw start to evolve last season and get better and better and he’s taken it to another level this season. He led the team in rushing on Monday night against the Eagles, which at his size is just remarkable with what he’s able to do with his legs. Steve Spagnolo told us that when he decides not to try and force the ball into a tight window and he tucks the ball and runs with it, that is an absolute backbreaker for defenses. He said that is the biggest thing we are focused on is containing him in the pocket. Chris Jones said that as a defensive line when we rush, we have to contain him in the pocket, get him on the ground. He said no open B gaps or interior rush lanes. He said, “We have to be pocket crushers on Sunday because when Justin Herbert rolls out and takes off running, that is the backb breaker and that is where they can absolutely get them in this game.” So, that’s the biggest focus for this Chief’s defense, Justin Herbert with his legs. What about this Chief’s O line? Because protecting Patrick Mahomes is of the utmost important and we saw it on full display in the Super Bowl against the Eagles. What happens when you do not protect him? So, how is that O line that’s been dealing with injuries and has been switched around a little bit, how are they handling that and how are they going to best protect Patrick Mahomes? Yeah, from an injury standpoint, aside from the quarterbacks, this is the biggest thing we’re focused on this week. It’s really both offensive lines, but when you look at the Chiefs, we saw Wany Morris get injured on the first play of the game against the Texans and leave the game. He hasn’t practiced all week. He and Jawan Taylor haven’t practiced all week. We actually just got the official injury report from the team. They’ve both been ruled out as has right guard Trey Smith. So we’re going to see those same tackles starting in this game that finished the game against the Texans which is Essa and Jaylen Moore. They will be the starting tackles for this game. Trey Smith again ruled out as well. So they are thin on the offensive line. We also just got word that wide receiver Hollywood Brown has been ruled out for this game. And when it comes to the Chargers, they have had nine different starting offensive line combinations this season. Four different combinations in the last four weeks. We saw Trey Pipkins got injured on Monday against the Eagles. We don’t have their official game report with their injuries yet, but he hasn’t practiced this week, so he looks unlikely to go. And we know they already lost Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt this season. So, it’s really remarkable what Justin Herbert has been able to do behind this offensive line. Both offensive lines are a massive focus for us in this game. And then, if you want to talk other storylines, look at the weather for this one. It is going to be so cold. The high is 24. We’re expecting 22 mph wind gusts on Sunday and the Chargers are used to playing inside. So, I think that’s going to be a big factor for this game as well as the fact that they are on a short week. They played Monday night, so they’ve had one less day of rest, one less day of preparation. Jim Harbaugh told us they’re flying in on Friday and they’re going to do their Saturday walkthrough outdoors to try and prep for these elements, but I looked at the the the high on Saturday is about 35 to 38 degrees. So, they’re really not going to be able to replicate what Sunday’s forecast is going to look like, but at least they’ll get their feet wet a little bit uh with the cold weather, but we can’t wait for this one. This is going to be an awesome rivalry matchup in the AFC West with the Chiefs with their backs against the wall and the temps expected in the 20s, right Melanie? Um, so 30 24 is the high. Okay. 24. Yeah, I’m a Florida gal, so I can kind of relate to being in LA and trying to like warm up and get acclimated and and it’s tough. Melanie, we certainly appreciate it. Prayers for me. We will you in our thoughts and our prayers. Stay warm, Melanie. We appreciate it. So much great information for this preview with the Chiefs and the Chargers. And of course, there is a scenario, again, I can’t believe I’m saying this, if the Chiefs lose and some other teams that are above them in terms of head-to-head in the AFC playoff picture win, the Chiefs could be knocked out of the playoffs this weekend and it would snap their longest playoff streak in history. They’re not the longest. They’re right there behind the Patriots. But it would snap that uh 10 season streak and we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Kansas City as it is all on the line against their divisional rival in the Chargers. And again, you can watch it on CBS. Welcome back into Spotlight. So, this is nearly it for the Kansas City Chiefs. Elimination from the postseason is officially on the line this weekend. They’re hosting the Chargers. If they win, they can keep their minuscule playoff hopes alive. If they lose, there’s a good chance they will be eliminated for the first time in nearly a decade. The Pats hold the longest playoff streak. They’re sitting at 11. The Chiefs are just behind them. For them to get to that 11 mark, it all comes down to this weekend potentially. Let’s welcome in NFL experts Mike Rener, JP Aosta, two guys behind the Pushing the Pile podcast. Uh Mike, I’ll start with you. walk us through potentially how the Chiefs could get eliminated from the postseason this weekend. Basically, they just lose this game. If they lose this game, it’s over. I mean, they can have a lot of different things go their way, but it is a less than 1% chance should they lose this game. So, that’s it. I mean, this is We’ve kind of been teetering on the edge the past few weeks with this Chiefs team saying like, “Yeah, this is like kind of a must-win, kind of must win. Kind of a must win. This is a must-win.” So, if Casey loses uh and then a few other things happen, they are officially eliminated, but the official eliminated just a formality. There is not a good chance of them if they lose this game. Like I said, it’s less than 1% of them getting back into it. Even if these other things don’t happen just this week, and this could really be considered the biggest do or die regular season game of the Patrick Mahomes era, considering the stakes, considering how much this team has struggled. And like Mike said, there is a less than 1% chance that this team makes the playoffs if they lose. They need this game more than anything else in this entire season. If even if they win, there’s still a 20% chance for them to make the playoffs. So, it’s not saying that if they win, they’re generally going to be in the playoffs by beating the Chargers, but it’s going to be an uphill battle, but if they lose, their chances of going to the playoffs are as good as done. All right, let’s dive into this game a little bit. Uh we’re going to talk about things like Impact’s player to watch, but I want to know first of all, what do you guys think about the line on this? I mean, the Chiefs are favored by five and a half in this game. Is that anything where where where you believe in that line at all, guys? I don’t really know if I believe in this line. Okay. All right. I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was weird. So, let’s get into it. Uh JP, start with you. Impact player to watch. I believe you have changed your mind on this one. Who do you like? So, initially I went with one Chiefs receiver, receive Rice, but I’m going with Xavier Worthy as my impact player in this game because he is such a winner against man coverage. He leads the Chiefs in yards per out run against man coverage this season. He struggles with physicality at the line of scrimmage, which is why I think he’s an impact player because the Chargers have such big physical corners that can disrupt him at the line of scrimmage. But given a clean clean break off the line of scrimmage, given the ability to design targets for him, getting wins downfield, he can create explosives. He is their most explosive, most dynamic downfield threat. And that’s something the Chiefs really haven’t had this season. So, if they’re going to win this game in the biggest game of the regular season for them this year, they have to get Xavier Worthy going. They have to use his threat of speed at every level. I’m going to go with Esso, the left tackle who filled in last week, who with injuries to Wani Morris and Jawan Taylor, looks like he’ll be filling in again this week. And to me, this is the key. If he holds up well, I think they have a chance to win this game. If he looks overmatched against guys like Khalil Mack, Bud Dri there off the edge, I think it’s over for this Chiefs team because you saw Patrick Mahomes hampered with that knee last week. the offense had its worst performance basically in the Patrick Mahomes era. And if again the pressure is coming from all angles this week against this Chargers defense that’s so sound on the back end that doesn’t give you a lot of room to work with there in that secondary, I just don’t see it turning around for this Kansas City Chiefs offense. Let’s talk about the Chargers here for a second. Uh they could potentially be on the brink of their second straight 10 or more win season. Obviously, we do have to give a lot of the credit to Jim Harbaugh here in his second season. Mike, what has been the biggest change for them? Is it just coach or are you looking at some other aspects? Yeah, I mean from the pre to post Jim Harbay era, it has been coaching. This is largely I mean last year was largely the same roster as the year before. There hasn’t been a ton of roster turnover and truthfully there isn’t like a lot of new additions for even last year’s football team. They’ve been kind of making uh magic with mincemeat there in terms of bargain free agents that they’ve been signing and having to bring in. But to me, it’s two things. One is the coaching, the fact that they’re such a well coached on the defensive side of the ball. And two is the offensive playmakers. I I think now with Amarian Hampton back, you actually have a full complement of playmakers. Yeah, you don’t have your starting offensive tackle duo, but you have numerous guys that can win. Whether it’s Quinn Johnson’s emergence, whether it’s Lad Makanki, whether it’s Ronda Gadson’s emergence, they just have weapons now in a way that they kind of didn’t after the Mike uh you know, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen era went downhill there for the Chargers. So, I think that’s the biggest thing is there are options now for Herbert. All right. Uh staying with the Chargers here, impact player to watch for them. Mike, you’re sticking with the offense. Yeah, I’m going to go with one of those guys I just mentioned, Amarian Hampton. We unfortunately got robbed of about half of his rookie season, but he came back last week, 56 yards against the Eagles. Hadn’t played since week five. I think that’s how you protect Justin Herbert without those starting tackles, right? They’ve struggled so much. He’s been hit more than any other quarterback in the NFL this season. Well, you can’t get hit when you’re handing the ball off. So, I think that’s going to be his best friend in this game. That’s going to slow down guys like Chris Jones, George Carlus is making them play the run on over half of their snaps. And I think with Amarian Hampton back, they are far more capable of churning out those tough runs between the tackles. I’m actually going with the guy who’s going to be doing a lot of blocking for Amari and Hampton in this game. I’m going with right guard Mai Beckton. I’m going with Beckton because Chris Jones primarily is lined up over the right guard for most of this season and he has been incredible when lined up over the right guard last week against the Texans. He put up a a season high in pressures. He looks like he is still the same forceful, impactful player despite some of the issues that that defense has had. And against a Chargers team that really has given up a lot of pressure off the edges because they’re missing both their starting tackles. I think having Mai Beckton, at least some form of consistency, at least a starter on that offensive line, healthy and available to help sort of slow down Chris Jones is going to really help, like Mike said, in the run game, but also in the passing game to kind of keep Justin Herbert from getting pressure through the middle of the defense up into his face. Okay, let’s get down to it. Uh, there is the line. The Chiefs are favored by five and a half. We also, we think it’s a funny line, but this comes down to who wins. What is your pick in this game? Can the Chiefs stay alive or are they headed to Bermuda maybe after this? Mike, what do you think? I think the Chargers win. I think this defense, like I said, is so good for the Los Angeles Chargers at limiting big plays. And that’s really what the Chiefs have to rely upon because they’ve been so inconsistent at sustaining drives uh over this past stretch. They need guys like Xavier Worthy and Taekwon Thornton to take the top off defense and the Chargers just don’t give it to you. They they’ve allowed the second fewest deep passes in the NFL so far this season. So, for all those reasons, I think the Chargers grind out yet another tough win here against the Chiefs. I’m also going with the Chargers here for a lot of the reasons Mike said. I just think this defense is so talented and so fast at the second level of the defense that you’re going to really see a lot of those short passes, a lot of the quick game that the Chiefs have really used to their advantage for most of the Mahomes era. That stuff is going to really start to slow up because you have guys like Derwin James and Deion Henley at the second level. Plus, their quarterback room is playing really well right now. And then I think Justin Herbert has made so many plays as a scrambler this season as a runner. And I think that doesn’t get talked about when it comes to how great Justin Herbert is as a quarterback is how he’s grown in that scramble era. He had a big one in the first game they played against the Chiefs in Brazil. And I think Justin Herbert’s leg is going to take the uh Chargers to a victory. All right, if both of you are right, there’s going to be a lot of questions about this Chiefs team moving forward when it comes to Dynasty. Uh when it comes to next year, Mike JP, we appreciate it. You can check out those guys on Pushing the Pile podcast. Take a look at this slate uh on CBS. It is an absolutely phenomenal weekend. You get the Bills, Josh Allen going up against Drake May and the Patriots. Can the Patriots hang on to the top of that division there. Chargers, Chiefs, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Jags, maybe not as exciting, but it’s still there. And Packers and Broncos, are we looking at a Super Bowl preview? All of that this Sunday, week 15 on CBS. You can stream those games also on Paramount Plus.

Melanie Collins, JP Acosta, and Mike Renner join CBS Sports HQ to preview the AFC West divisional matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

[0:00:00] Chargers-Chiefs Preview with Melanie Collins
[0:12:03] Chiefs chances of being eliminated from playoffs
[0:13:54] Chiefs impact player to watch
[0:15:30] Chargers on verge of 2nd straight 10+ win season
[0:16:49] Chargers impact player to watch
[0:18:20] Game Picks

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