Scouting the enemy: Los Angeles Chargers ready for Week 1 showdown with Chiefs

The Patrick Mahomes era opens up against the Los Angeles Chargers. What has changed for the Chargers since the last time these teams met?

It’s here, everyone. The first week of the NFL season has finally arrived. With it, there will be a brand new era under Patrick Mahomes’ leadership.

As exciting as it is that the Kansas City Chiefs will finally have homegrown quarterback starting in a meaningful game for the first time in what feels like forever, the NFL has decided to not take it easy on the young signal caller to start the year. His first game of the season will be against the Los Angeles Chargers, a team many are projecting to win the AFC West and make a deep playoff run as long as they can stay healthy.

Adding to the stress will be the fact that this game is a road trip against a divisional opponent. Mahomes has a little experience from Week 17 of last season, but he still has a lot to prove when it comes to being a starter week in and week out. Fortunately the Chiefs have been very successful in the past when it comes to facing the Chargers, having beat them eight times in a row since Andy Reid took over in 2013.

The only loss that the Chiefs have suffered to the Chargers was the same year Reid took over, when Kansas City had already clinched a playoff berth and were resting their starters. Even then, the Chargers needed to go to overtime to be able to beat the Chiefs. The consistency Reid has managed against divisional opponents is rare, but that was with Alex Smith at the helm. The Change at quarterback could see a shift away from the dominance that the Chiefs have held over its divisional foes. Knowing this, what are the Chiefs chances of winning this weekend?

Let’s take a closer look at the Chiefs first opponent of the year.