NFL picks Week 14: Can the Chargers upset the Chiefs at Arrowhead?

It's the Chiefs and Chargers on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are a double-digit favorite and they just beat this Chargers team 33-3 two weeks ago.

Here's who the Arrowhead Pride staff is picking:

A closer game than before and I'm still a little nervous but the Chiefs defense is just too strong. The only way the Chiefs lose is if they lose the turnover battle by at least two.

I'm slightly leery of this game for the same reason I was leery the first time the Chiefs played the Chargers; you never know what might happen with Phillip Rivers. He's capable of absolutely going off at any given moment. The fact that Justin Houston is out makes me even more uneasy, as memories of Philip Rivers throwing for about 500 yards against a defense missing Houston (granted, Tamba Hali was gone as well) in 2013 still haunt me.

That said, the Chiefs are a significantly better team than the Chargers from top to bottom, as evidenced by the pasting they dealt them a few weeks back. The Chiefs have been blessed to an extent by having EVERY game be meaningful down the stretch with the AFC Wild Card situation. They can't afford to have a letdown, and have already won back-to-back slugfests against teams fighting for a playoffs spot. Combine that with the fact that Alex Smith is playing the best football of his career and I don't think the Chargers will keep it interesting for long.

As the Chiefs pounce on yet another cream puff team, we have to wonder if their weak schedule down the stretch is a detriment. Will they be ready for the level of competition they'll face in the playoffs? Going over a month without facing a winning team makes me nervous.

The Chiefs have won three in a row against the Chargers, and San Diego has 10 points combined in the last two games. The Chiefs defense looks better with each passing week as the younger players gain reps and experience, and others continue to round into form after injuries (DJ, Berry). If Bailey and/or Houston can get back on the field, it's going to be a rout.

Another week, another game the Chiefs SHOULD win. Not much has changed since the 33-3 drubbing except for a couple injuries in the Chiefs lineup. The biggest injury continues to be Justin Houston as Dee Ford gets another start.   Charcandrick West is now healthy, so Spencer Ware (who had 96 yards and two TDs in the last meeting) will be sharing carries. Other than that, I struggle to come up with reasons the result will be much different. Because I like contradicting myself and I am usually wrong, I will say Philip Rivers has a bigger game this wee  and the score is closer.