In possibly the last home game for the Chargers in San Diego, the Kansas City Chiefs will come to town looking to grab the No. 2 spot in the AFC.
The San Diego Chargers may bid farewell to the city of San Diego on Sunday, as all signs are pointing towards them moving to Los Angeles. In Week 17, the home fans will get one more chance to see Philip Rivers under center, though it will be against one of the better defenses in the league. The Kansas City Chiefs will head to Qualcomm Stadium hoping to lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs, and a short-handed Chargers team will not have enough to contend.
San Diego will be without second-year running back Melvin Gordon, who has been dealing with knee and hip issues. Gordon’s injury is just another in a long line of Chargers offensive weapons who could not stay out of the trainer’s room this season, and it could prove to be too much to overcome on Sunday. Philip Rivers has had a nice season despite all the injuries, and San Diego has enough young talent to be a contender very soon.
For Kansas City, their goal is simple. Grab the W against the Chargers on Sunday and hope that the Denver Broncos can beat the Oakland Raiders at home. In that scenario, the Chiefs will get a first round bye in the AFC Playoffs, and then will get to host a home game at Arrowhead Stadium, which has proven to be one of the better home field advantages in football. Quarterback Alex Smith looked a lot better under center last week, and the emergence of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill have the Chiefs as one of the teams who could knock of New England in the AFC.
San Diego has played well this season, and their record should be a lot better than the 5-10 mark they will head into the game with. However, they let a bunch of wins slip past them early in the year, and will now resort to the role of spoiler on Sunday. Kansas City has too much to play for to be looking past San Diego, and this one may get out of hand early.
Highlights
Highlights will be posted throughout the game.
Three Stars Prediction
1. Tyreek Hill
Hill has become what the Chiefs were hoping Jeremy Maclin would be, as the rookie sixth-round pick has been one of the more electric players in the NFL this season. Hill has been stepping up in big games all season long, and Sunday could be the difference between a No. 2 seed and a road game. Expect Hill to find paydirt in some capacity on Sunday, whether in the return game, on the ground, or through the air.
2. Travis Kelce
Kelce is becoming a superstar for the Chiefs, and if Rob Gronkowski cannot come back fully healthy, he may be the best tight end in the league. He is a dynamic player, and the San Diego defense does not have the talent to stop him for four quarters. He is going to get his catches, and likely will find the end zone at least once.
3. Philip Rivers
It has been a very good year for Rivers statistically, and he has done it despite the offense being decimated by injuries. Rivers is one of the best quarterback in the AFC still, and should be able to move the ball against the Chiefs on Sunday. Kansas City will be without Justin Houston, so expect the tight ends to be involved in what the Bolts do against the Chiefs.
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Odds
The Kansas City Chiefs are road favorites in this one, as odds makers expect them to take care of business in possibly the last game for the Chargers in San Diego. The Chiefs will be giving San Diego 4.5 points, while the over/under is set at 45. Should be plenty of points scored in this one.
Next Week
Sunday will be the end of the road for the 2016 San Diego Chargers, as they have failed to reach the postseason. The Kansas City Chiefs will have to wait to see where they stand after Sunday’s games, but they will at least be a wildcard team in the 2017 AFC Playoffs.
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