The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2013 season. The Chiefs have had to impressive wins, first over the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and a young Philadelphia Eagles squad. This weekend, the Chiefs open up divisional play as they visit the soccer stadium in Carson, California to play the hosting Los Angeles Chargers. Here are the Week Three Kansas City Chiefs Keys to Victory.
Week Three Kansas City Chiefs Keys to Victory
1) Do Not Let Up
The AFC West is already shaping up to be a tough division. There are three teams who are sitting at 2-0 with one team sitting lonely at 0-2 at the bottom. That 0-2 team is the Los Angeles Chargers; but, do not be fooled by that record. The Chargers are two missed field goals away from being 2-0 and tied atop the division. In both of their losing efforts, veteran quarterback Philip Rivers put his team in a position to win the game.
There have been far too many times when the Chargers appeared to be done in a game and came roaring back to make things interesting. Look no further than week one of this season, when the Denver Broncos almost blew a 14 point fourth quarter lead, but prevailed on a blocked field goal to end the game. If the Chiefs get off to a fast start, Andy Reid’s team cannot afford to let off the gas… but that delivers the next key to victory.
2) The Chiefs Must Start Fast
While Kansas City owns a couple of impressive victories, both were met with rather unimpressive first halves. In the opener at New England, Kansas City did go into the half with 14 points, however, they were still behind the Patriots, 17-14. In week two, the Chiefs lead six to three at the half. While the Chiefs were able to make some changes to the second half game plan and pull out victories, the team cannot afford to start slow every week.
Rivers is capable of slinging the ball around the field and he has healthy weapons all around him. Let’s not forget that Keenan Allen was off to a career day in week one last year before tearing his ACL midway through the game. The Chiefs will need to start fast and keep the pedal down this weekend.
3) Run the Football
Kareem Hunt has showed incredible skill to start his rookie campaign, and the Chiefs will lean on Hunt this weekend. The Chargers are currently ranked 26th in the league defending the run, giving up an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Hunt should be in line for a big day considering his week two performance was against a much more formidable front in the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City will be without starting center Mitch Morse, which will be a position to keep an eye on this weekend. If the offense can move the ball on the ground, play action should open up for playmakers Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
Another big benefit to running the ball successfully is to keep Rivers off of the field. As previous stated, Rivers can gut a team through the air. It would be a huge benefit for the Chiefs if they can keep the ball, sustain drives, and punch it into the end zone.
Main Image:
