Chiefs Play Two Different Halves
It was a tale of two halves for the Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City. The first half saw both the Chiefs and the Chargers move the ball up the field with ease, and the game felt destined to be a shootout. Kansas City’s offense had their best half of football and by halftime, Patrick Mahomes already had over 300 passing yards to go along with 3 passing TDs. It was arguably the best half of his career. On top of that, Travis Kelce was sitting on 9 receptions for 143 yards and a TD. The bad news? The Chiefs’ defense had their worst half of the season.
Kansas City’s first drive of the second half saw them once again move the ball into Chargers territory. Leading by 7, the Chiefs were staring down a two-possession lead. Unfortunately, given the nature of these games, it wasn’t meant to be. On 2nd and 7, Blake Bell hauled in a first down pass, but Chargers linebacker Eric Kendricks popped the ball out for a fumble. For the rest of the half, it would be a grind for the Chiefs to move the ball.
For the entire second half, when the Chiefs had the ball they were trying to go up by two scores. When the Chargers had the ball, they were trying to tie the game. Both defenses were up to task and the second half was a battle of the punters. Finally, with 6 minutes to go in the game, Mecole Hardman would seal the game with a 50-yard punt return to the Chargers 35, setting up a game sealing touchdown for Kansas City.
In this article, I will look at what players helped propel the Chiefs to their 6th straight win.
Patrick Mahomes
As I mentioned earlier, Mahomes and the offense were lights out in the first half with Mahomes throwing for 321 yards. They moved the ball with ease despite getting nothing going in the run game. They looked like the offense we all know and have come to expect. Mahomes hit 7 different receivers in the first half, and the Chargers had no answers. Even though the Chargers were able to hold Mahomes in check in the second half, he still found ways to make plays when it mattered, especially with his feet. Mahomes would end the day 32/42 for 424 yards and 4 TDs.
Mahomes’s lone mistake came on an underthrown deep ball to Mecole Hardman. The pass was intercepted by Asante Samuel Jr. in real time it looked like a pick punt, but on replay, Mahomes had Marquez Valdes-Scantling open.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (15) and TE Travis Kelce (87) – Tammy Ljungblad/ Kansas City Star
Marquez Valdes- Scantling
MVS played far and away his best game of the season. After not having a catch versus the Broncos last week, MVS broke out in a big way versus the Chargers. It wasn’t the volume of receptions for MVS, it was the quality. He had 3 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown reception came on a scramble drill with Mahomes, where he dragged all the way across the field for a 46-yard TD.
His stats could have been even better but, as I mentioned earlier, Mahomes missed him for what would’ve been another long reception. Mahomes knew he missed him and took responsibility in his post-game. He said, “I’ll just say the interception, no one look at Quez because that’s who I was supposed to throw to. And he was probably another touchdown, so just cut him out of the picture when you look at it.”
Travis Kelce
Like Mahomes, Kelce had a great final game stat line by halftime, hauling in 9 receptions for 143 yards and a TD. Kelce continually found the soft spot in the defense, which was usually in the middle of the field. It truly is crazy how easily Travis can get open and how well he reacts to defensive coverages.
Kelce is already at 106 yards, making him first TE to go over 100 in first half of back to back games since 2000. First player at any position to do it in 5 years.
And he's 34.
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) October 22, 2023
Like the rest of the offense, Travis had a quiet second half, largely due to the double teams he was drawing.
Charles Omenihu
On the defensive side of the ball, Charles Omenihu deserves a special shout-out following a fantastic debut. Omenihu, who was coming off a six-game suspension, added a nice spark to the Chiefs defensive line. Omenihu’s first highlight was a drive-killing sack on Justin Herbert late in the second quarter. This forced the Chargers to punt back to Kansas City, leading to a KC touchdown. It also gave the Chiefs a chance to double-dip, as KC would get the ball first after halftime.
Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu (90) – Emily Curiel/Kansas City Star
But Omenihu’s most impactful play would come on the Chargers’ first drive of the second half. Following the Blake Bell fumble, the Chargers drove the ball to the KC 8 with a chance to tie the game at 24. It was third and goal, and Herbert dropped back to throw. As the ball was taking off, Omenihu got his hands in the air and popped the ball into the air. The ball would fall into L’ Jarius Sneed’s hand for an interception. This was a game-saving play and gave the momentum right back to the Chiefs. For the day, Omenihu ended with a sack, a pass deflection, and two QB hits.
Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman was the feel-good story of the day. It’s no secret that Mecole’s time with the Jets did not go as planned. But the Chiefs welcomed him back with open arms, and he did not miss a beat. As I mentioned earlier, he sealed the game for the Chiefs two different times. The first was the 50-yard punt return into Chargers territory mid-way through the fourth. This was just what the Chiefs needed as the offense was no longer moving the ball.
However, his second game-sealing play came later that drive. On 3rd and 6 at the Chargers 14, the Chiefs were desperate to extend the drive. This is where Mecole stepped up and hauled in a pass right at the first down marker. The very next play, Isiah Pacheco would take a screen pass into the end zone, giving the Chiefs a two TD lead with 3:30 left.
Without Mecole Hardman, the Chiefs may not have closed this one out. Mecole adds more speed and more playmaking ability to a team looking for more players to step up.
