Winners, losers from Chargers-Chiefs on Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night FootballThe Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers delivered on Thursday night.
In a back-and-forth affair, Kansas City erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit and held on to beat Los Angeles, 27-24.
Patrick Mahomes (2 TDs) and Justin Herbert (3 TDs), as expected, led the way for their respective squads.
Before giving away too much more, let’s take a look at some winners and losers from Thursday Night Football:
Winner: The Watsons
Two plays shifted the game for the Chiefs, and they both came courtesy of a man named Watson.
First, it was wide receiver Justin Watson. With Kansas City trailing 17-7 in the third quarter, Watson beat newly paid Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson for a 41-yard touchdown catch. The 26-year-old Watson hasn’t had many highlights in his NFL career, totaling just 23 receptions in his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The second play came from cornerback Jaylen Watson. A seventh-round rookie, Watson was one of the Chiefs’ best players in the secondary all night. At this point, the score was tied at 17 and the Chargers were driving. They got down to the goal line when Herbert misfired, giving Watson the opportunity to pounce. He did just that, intercepting the pass and returning it 99 yards for the tie-breaking score.
Loser: Chargers for Charger-ing
We’ve seen this story too many times. Regardless of the coaches or players, the Chargers always find a way to give away wins.
Leading 17-7 midway through the third quarter, the Chargers allowed 20 unanswered points before a garbage time score. In the process, their star quarterback suffered a rib injury. If Herbert isn’t healthy – which he didn’t look to be, even after returning – the Chargers could quickly fall behind in a competitive AFC West. The good news is that they have a long week before they face the Jaguars on Sept. 25.
Los Angeles had a prime (video) opportunity to improve to 2-0, both overall and in the division after beating the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. In an AFC West that could be decided on a tiebreaker, in-division record will be crucial.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes
When isn’t this guy a winner?
Mahomes had a few potential interceptions dropped, but he ultimately was in total control for most of the night. The 2018 league MVP finished 24 of 35 for 235 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his two-game total to seven touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Entering this season, there were questions about how Mahomes would play without Tyreek Hill. He has quickly silenced those doubters, spreading the ball out to a number of different weapons. Nine different Chiefs had a reception on Thursday, and six different players have already caught a touchdown from Mahomes after two weeks.
Winner: Mike Williams
The Chargers won’t be happy losing to a division rival, but Williams was one positive after a quiet Week 1 performance.
He had just two catches for 10 yards last week, even after Chargers No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen left with an injury. Against the Chiefs, though, Williams performed like a No. 1 option with Allen sidelined. He had eight receptions for 113 yards and a wild, one-handed touchdown grab.
Loser: Injuries
Herbert’s injury could be a killer, but we’ll wait on more details before speculating. It wasn’t only that, though, as L.A. also lost its starting center Corey Linsley and right tackle Trey Pipkins.
The offensive line has long been an issue for the Chargers. It finally looked like the problem was solved heading into this season, with stud left tackle Rashawn Slater and first-round rookie Zion Johnson as recent additions. Now, there are questions again about keeping Herbert on his feet.
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Thursday Night Football odds, spread, line: Chargers vs. Chiefs prediction, NFL picks from expert who is 17-5
R.J. White has his finger on the pulse of Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams and the Los Angeles Chargers
After a wildly exciting opening week of the 2022 NFL schedule, Week 2 begins in earnest on Thursday Night Football. The Kansas City Chiefs will welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West tilt. Both teams are led by star quarterbacks, with Patrick Mahomes starring for the Chiefs and Justin Herbert emerging as the face of the Chargers. The two teams split a pair of matchups in 2021, with both winning on the road, and each won season-opening tilts last week to begin the campaign at 1-0.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Kansas City. Caesars Sportsbook lists Kansas City as a four-point home favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 54 in the latest Chargers vs. Chiefs odds. Before making any Chiefs vs. Chargers picks or NFL predictions for Thursday Night Football, see what SportsLine expert R.J. White has to say.
White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in picks against the spread, and went 445-378-24 on his ATS picks from 2017-21, which returned $2,542 to $100 players. He's also gone a whopping 17-5-1 on his NFL picks involving the Chargers, meaning he's well-qualified for this selection.
He's well-known for cashing out big in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest twice since 2015. White also cashed big on his NFL futures in 2021, including nailing Jonathan Taylor as the NFL rushing leader at 10-1. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has locked in on Chargers vs. Chiefs from every angle and released a confident against-the-spread pick. You can visit SportsLine now to see his TNF picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Chiefs vs. Chargers:
Chargers vs. Chiefs spread: Chiefs -4
Chargers vs. Chiefs over/under: 54 points
Chargers vs. Chiefs money line: Chiefs -210, Chargers +175
LAC: Chargers are 9-9 against the spread in the last 18 games
KC: Chiefs are 11-10 against the spread in the last 21 games
Chargers vs. Chiefs picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Chargers can cover
The Chargers have enjoyed trips to Arrowhead Stadium with Justin Herbert at the helm. Los Angeles is 2-0 in Kansas City over Herbert's tenure, with the talented quarterback throwing for 583 passing yards and seven touchdowns in those games. Herbert is an elite option in any context, as evidenced by 279 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1. Dating back to the 2021 season, Herbert threw for more than 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns and ranks in the top four in NFL history in passing yards and passing touchdowns through the first 33 games of a career.
The Chargers are highly explosive as a result, ranking in the top five of the league in passing offense, total offense, and scoring offense a year ago. Running back Austin Ekeler is not a bruiser, but he compiled more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2021, ranking No. 6 in the NFL. Ekeler also tied Jonathan Taylor for the league lead with 20 touchdowns last season, and the Chargers can also take solace in a defense that produced six sacks in the season-opener four days ago.
Why the Chiefs can cover
Kansas City isn't known for its defense, but the 2022 season-opener set a strong baseline. The Chiefs held the high-powered Cardinals offense to 282 total yards in Week 1, and Arizona averaged only 4.4 net yards per pass attempt. Kansas City scored the most points in the NFL in the Week 1 with 44, and the Chiefs accumulated 488 total yards and 33 first downs. The Chiefs also racked up a whopping 33 first downs, and Kansas City went 6-for-6 in the red zone while converting more than 60% of third down chances.
Kansas City protected Patrick Mahomes at an elite level, allowing zero sacks in the opener, and the Chiefs also ran the ball effectively against the Cardinals. The Chiefs used 27 carries to accumulate 128 rushing yards and a touchdown with a rotation of running backs, and Kansas City ranked in the top four of the NFL in scoring offense and total offense during the 2021 season.
How to make Chiefs vs. Chargers picks
For Thursday Night Football, White is leaning Under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is and which side of the Chargers vs. Chiefs spread to back at SportsLine.
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Prisco's NFL Week 2 picks: Saints knock off Tom Brady again, Chiefs outlast Chargers in AFC West shootout
Pete Prisco reveals his Week 2 picks, including Bengals handling Dak Prescott-less Cowboys
The first week of the NFL season is always so unpredictable. So I will be happy with my first week of picks after seeing what transpired in Week 1.
I went 7-8-1 straight up, which stinks. I went 8-8 against the spread, which is so-so. But the great news is that I went 5-1 with my best bets as part of the Pick Six Podcast. And if not for me adding the Jacksonville Jaguars late, it would have been a clean sweep. Even that looked good for a while, too.
So let's get back at it in what I call get-even week in the NFL. Teams that looked bad in Week 1 probably won't look that way in the second week, while the reverse is likely true for some of the winners. It won't always play out that way, but I think it will this week in a lot of the games.
Time to get the straight-up record back on track but, most of all, let's stay hot with the best bets.
This is the game of the week with Justin Herbert against Patrick Mahomes. That is a treat anytime they meet, and Arrowhead will be rocking on Thursday night. The Chiefs rolled against the Cardinals with Mahomes lighting things up. But the Chargers can rush the passer with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. Look for a high-scoring game with the Chiefs winning a close one.
The Dolphins and Ravens both won in impressive fashion last week, but now Miami goes on the road for the first time. The Dolphins dominated the Ravens last year at home, but this will be different. The Ravens and Lamar Jackson get the best of the Dolphins.
The Browns will be facing a familiar quarterback this week in Joe Flacco. He wasn't good last week in the Jets' loss to the Ravens. The Browns got a close win against Carolina last week, but they are home in this one and Jacoby Brissett will play better in his second start for the Browns. They go to 2-0.
The Commanders are coming off a home victory over the Jaguars where Carson Wentz drove them to the game-winning score late. The Lions looked good on offense against the Eagles, but the defense was terrible. This could end up being a shootout. Washington is the better team, and I think that will show up. Commanders take it.
The Colts haven't won in Jacksonville since 2014 and lost there last year in the final week to cost them a playoff spot. They are also playing consecutive road games, while Jacksonville is playing its home opener. That's a big edge to the Jaguars. The Colts rallied to tie the Texans last week, but this time around they won't rally to win. The Jaguars will get their first victory.
The Bucs are playing consecutive road games after a Sunday night game, which is always tough. But they are also banged up on offense in a big way. The Saints' defense gets after Tom Brady when his line is healthy, which it is isn't. Look for the Saints' defense to come up big here after struggling last week. The Saints take it.
The Giants did some good things in rallying late to beat the Titans on the road. Saquon Barkley was special. He will again carry the team here against a Carolina team that lost last week to the Browns. The Giants go to 2-0. Can you believe it?
The Patriots are playing consecutive road games after a terrible showing in Miami. The Steelers are playing their home opener after upsetting the Bengals. But the Steelers will be without T.J. Watt, which matters in a big way. The defensive dynamic changes. The Patriots will hang around in this one as the offense finally shows some life. They will then win it late.
The Rams will have been rested for 10 days after a terrible showing against the Bills. Sean McVay is too good a coach for that loss to linger. The Falcons played well in losing to the Saints in a game they probably should have won. This is a long trip against a good team that will be focused. Rams take it big.
The Seahawks are 1-0, while the 49ers are 0-1. Who saw that after Week 1? Seattle played well in upsetting the Broncos on Monday night, but now they head out on a short week. That's a challenge. The 49ers didn't play well in the bad conditions at Soldier Field in losing to the Bears, but that will change here. Trey Lance gets it going.
The Bengals get a break in facing Cooper Rush rather than Dak Prescott. It took Joe Burrow a while to get going against Pittsburgh after sitting out much of training camp, but he got the rust off in the second half. I think that carries over. The Cowboys are too limited on offense. The Bengals win it.
The Broncos are playing their home opener after losing Monday night to the Seahawks in a game they should have won. The Texans played well in tying the Colts last week, but this will be a bigger challenge on the road. I think they can hang around in this one, but the Broncos will win it late.
The Raiders lost to the Chargers, but played well. The Cardinals lost to the Chiefs, and played terrible football. Now they head out on the road for the first time. The Cardinals just don't have the feel of being a good team. Derek Carr lights them up.
The Packers were awful in losing to the Vikings, while the Bears shocked the 49ers in a driving rain storm. This is the get-right game for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers and the passing game will get it going, and the defense will dominate Justin Fields and the Bears' offense.
The Titans are coming off a brutal loss to the Giants where they blew a big lead. Now they head north to play a Bills team that will have been rested for 11 days. That matters. Buffalo has had problems with the Titans in recent years, but that won't be the case here. Josh Allen continues to roll up big numbers.
This is one of the best games of the week, with two 1-0 teams coming off impressive victories. The Minnesota defense was outstanding last week against the Packers, but this is a different style of offense. The Eagles will roll to a lot of points here, but the Vikings will get theirs too. This will be a shootout with the Eagles getting the best of it.