Chiefs | Chargers | |
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS | 41 | 58 |
FIRST DOWNS (Rushing-passing-by penalty) | 9 - 30 - 2 | 17 - 36 - 5 |
THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS | 14/42 | 17/39 |
FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS | 1 of 1 | 2 of 2 |
TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDS | 751 | 828 |
OFFENSE (Plays-Average Yards) | 174 - 4.3 | 190 - 4.4 |
TOTAL RUSHING YARDS | 192 | 202 |
RUSHING (Plays-Average Yards) | 72 - 2.7 | 84 - 2.4 |
TOTAL PASSING YARDS | 559 | 626 |
PASSING (Comp-Att-Int-Avg) | 65 - 94 - 3 - 6.4 | 69 - 98 - 4 - 7.1 |
SACKS | 10 | 7 |
FIELD GOALS | 4 of 6 | 1 of 2 |
TOUCHDOWNS | 2 | 7 |
(Rushing-Passing-Returns-Defensive) | 0 - 2 - 0 - 0 | 1 - 6 - 0 - 0 |
TIME OF POSSESSION | 29:11:00 | 31:10:00 |
Both the Chiefs and the Chargers are 1-2 this season. Both teams are having an extremely sub-par season rushing the football. But where are they different?
Despite similar numbers by the starting QBs, the Chargers definitely have the jump on the Chiefs in the passing game. The Chargers ability to produce six total touchdowns through the air versus the Chiefs' measly two shows an ability to finish drives that the Chiefs have not shown. Before you argue that the Chiefs have played two pretty good defenses this year, so have the Chargers. Rivers and co. had trouble against the Bears, like the Chiefs did, but they did manage two touchdowns against the best team in the league- the New England Patriots.
I would argue that the Chargers' offense is playing way under their potential while the Chiefs' offense is just barely underachieving (Dear lord I hope so). These two teams will not have similar offensive stats at the end of the season.
Can the Chiefs' D hold the Chargers' offense in check? The offensive line numbers I recently posted say yes. The Chiefs' offensive line is ranked 31st in the league. The only team lower? That's right. The San Diego Chargers. Like the Chiefs, the Chargers aren't getting much push behind their offensive line. The Chargers are the worst team in the league in getting "stuffed", which are runs that result in (on first down) zero or negative gain or (on second through fourth down) less than one-fourth the yards needed for another first down. Our defensive ends Jared Allen and Tamba Hali should have a fantastic game. LT isn't a power running back. He will not be running between the tackles. He'll have to run towards the outside, where Allen and Hali will bury him.
These teams are quite similar, at least through three games this season. And I think both teams are in similar spots with their offenses. Both sets of fans place a large portion of the blame for their losses on offensive play calling. Both teams came into the 2007 season with 2006 game plans and found out they do not work.
This weekend's game will be an experiment of sorts for each team. They'll be seeing what works, what doesn't and who and what they can rely for the remaining twelve games of the season. Most NFL teams have found at least some scheme or set of plays that will be effective in 2007 or at least have hints of what will work. The Chiefs and Chargers have found nothing concrete. Look for both to try to define their offensive strategy this weekend.
GO CHIEFS!!!