Ten Quick Thoughts On The Chiefs’ Win Over The Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs are back to .500 after stealing a game from the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Fresh off a bye week, Kansas City defeated San Diego 23-20 before a crowd of 65,000 fans at Qualcomm Stadium. The Bolts had boasted the best record in the AFC coming into the game. They were also undefeated on their home field in 2014. All of that changed by supper time on Sunday.

The Chiefs are a long way from their 0-2 start. Andy Reid and company have survived a rash of injuries, two suspensions, and a murderers’ row of opponents through seven weeks. The team stumbled out of the gate, but it’s a brand new season for Kansas City. The next two games will be in the cozy confines of Arrowhead Stadium. The next three opponents have a combined record of 7-13. Things are looking up for the Chiefs and there are a number of reasons why.

Let’s take a look at 10 things that occurred to me during Sunday’s game:

1. Reid did his job.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

For those of you who regularly read my column, you know that I have no qualms about criticizing head coach Andy Reid. His in-game management has hurt this team on more than one occasion in 2014. On Sunday however, Reid quietly turned in one of his best performances of the season. His offense ran the football 39 times in the contest. Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis accounted for 32 of those carries. He also avoided glaring lapses in judgment with clock management or play calls.

Reid took advantage of an offensive line that consistently won at the point-of-attack. In most short yardage situations, Reid opted to run the football. I can only recall one pass attempt in a third-and-short scenario on Sunday. Big Red played to his strengths, mixed up his play calling, and put the ball in the hands of his playmakers. All of that led to Kansas City possessing the football for two-thirds of regulation. Reid deserves credit for a job well done.

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