Herbert, Chargers square off vs Mahomes, Chiefs in Kansas City
After both teams successfully came out of Week 1 with a victory, the Chargers and Chiefs will square off Thursday night in an AFC West divisional battle in Kansas City.
Thursday's matchup features the two top teams favored to win the division title this season.
LA and Kansas City kick off the first Thursday Night Football game that will be broadcasted solely on Amazon Prime. Kickoff is scheduled at 5:15 p.m. on Prime Video.
Game Preview
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has gone 2-2 in his four games against the Chiefs.
Herbert made his NFL debut against Kansas City in Week 2 of the 2020 season unintentionally after then starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung prior to kickoff.
Though the Bolts ultimately lost that contest, it was clear that it was Herbert's time to step in as the quarterback of the franchise and he and the Bolts have not looked back since.
Herbert has averaged 282.5 yards per game against Kanas City, compiling 13 total touchdowns and two interceptions.
Unfortunately for Herbert, the Chargers will be without Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of last Sunday's game against the Raiders.
Fortunately for the Chargers though, Herbert is known for spreading the ball around.
In the Week 1 contest against Las Vegas, seven different players saw at least four targets from Herbert.
On the other side, the Chargers' defense forced a total of four turnovers against the Raiders, picking off Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr three times.
But head coach Brandon Staley's defense will face a much tougher task tonight trying to contain Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is more mobile and serene quarterback.
Kansas City steamrolled the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 44-21, with Mahomes completing 30-of-39 pass attempts for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Mahomes was the top quarterback in Pro Football Focus' Week 1 rankings.
Herbert was not too far behind, coming in fifth in PFF's Week 1 grades.
The numbers overall were pretty identical between Herbert and Mahomes. But the Kansas City quarterback outshined Herbert in throws under pressure.
Mahomes' PFF grade under pressure was 138.8, compared to Herbert's 85.7.
The Chargers' ability to pressure Mahomes will likely be the deciding factor whether they're able to keep the game close.
General manager Tom Telesco traded for first-team All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack for games like this.
In his team debut, Mack registered three sacks against Las Vegas. Paired with Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa, the Chargers clearly boast one of the league's top pass rushes but how it will perform against Mahomes & Co. this season will likely determine how far this team can go.
The Bolts are 4-point underdogs against the Chiefs. The total for the contest is 54 points.