Friday Night Football
Kansas City @ Los Angeles (in Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Team Totals: Chiefs 24.75, Chargers 21.75
Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo conquered Justin Herbert in 2023 with five sacks and two interceptions but was otherwise diced for 17 touchdowns (to four picks) and 7.7 yards per attempt — Herbert’s career-high mark in a single season — in seven surrounding games. With a career-best 4.1 weekly carries through the ankle sprain he suffered in September, Herbert remains a confident QB2 with untapped rushing upside.
What makes this game so intriguing for showdown purposes and ‘telling a story’ is 1) Peter Overzet somehow being in the same broadcast studio as Kay Adams and Cam Newton, and 2) how the Chargers handled the offseason, responding to Herbert’s eight combined sacks and interceptions in their postseason loss to Houston by inking 6-foot-7 OL Mekhi Becton and adding not one but two lead runners (more on that below). It’s the same identity HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman were vested in prior to the team’s bye.
| Weeks | 1-4 | 6-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Run% | 52.1% | 39.2% |
| Neutral Run% | 50% | 37.7% |
| YPC | 4.4 | 3.9 |
“There’s a possibility” Najee Harris (eye) suits up to carry out that approach, but his inability to practice or take handoffs from Herbert until one week before this game leaves him as a player we should glue to our benches. That logically projects No. 22 overall pick Omarion Hampton for the lion’s share of touches as an RB2/3 given the tough road ahead: Jerome Ford was the only RB to muster 80 rushing yards against Spagnuolo’s unit during the 2024 regular season, and it took a 62-yard run to do so.
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