The Kansas City Chiefs are 11-1 on the year and 4-0 in AFC West play so far this season. They've already guaranteed they'll have a winning record in the division but unfortunately, the division is not theirs to claim quite yet.
The AFC West has not been the cakewalk that it normally is with both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in the playoffs as of this writing. While it'll be difficult for those teams to catch K.C. in the divisional standings, the Chiefs need to take care of business and lock up the division while they can.
The Chiefs can clinch their ninth consecutive AFC West title with a win this weekend. The problem is that it won't be easy sledding, as they'll host the suddenly-competent Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night. The Chargers, led by Jim Harbaugh, are 8-5 and looking to turn the corner from the Brandon Staley era. They don't look like the same Chargers that were prone to choking away games and that's worrisome for the Chiefs.
With a big game on tap, let's look at the announcers and referees in charge for this massive showdown.
Announcers for Chiefs vs. Chargers
- Lead Play-by-Play Announcer: Mike Tirico
- Color Commentator: Cris Collinsworth
- Sideline Reporter: Melissa Stark
It's been a bit since the Chiefs were on NBC despite playing a lot of early-season games on the network so here's a reminder of the crew for Sunday Night Football. Tirico, Collinsworth, and Stark will be calling this one and yes, that means non-Chiefs fans are going to complain about how Collinsworth is obsessed with Patrick Mahomes.
Referees for Chiefs vs. Chargers
Head Referee: Bill Vinovich
One of the longest-tenured refs is calling this one, as Bill Vinovich will be the one in charge of explaining the penalties. Vinovich first started as a side referee in 2001 and was promoted to referee in 2004. Vinovich retired from officiating after the 2006 season due to a heart condition but returned to the field in 2012.
Chiefs fans are no stranger to Vinovich serving as the head ref for their games. Most recently, he called a pretty big game known as Super Bowl LVIII, which saw the Chiefs reign supreme over the 49ers. He also was the one in charge when the Chiefs fell to the Bengals in the 2022 AFC Championship Game so Vinovich is familiar with calling K.C. games.
Time & Channel for Chiefs vs. Chargers
- Date: Sunday, December 8th, 2024
- Time: 7:20 p.m. CST
- Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Channel: NBC