Two of the best teams in the NFL face off Sunday night in Kansas City as the Chiefs host the Los Angeles Chargers in a pivotal AFC West matchup.
Los Angeles (8-5) has best red hot, winning five of its last six games, putting in position for a postseason berth. Kansas City, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, has lost only one game all season.
Who will come out on top Sunday? Stay with NBC News all night for the latest from Arrowhead Stadium.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Sunday, December 8
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
How to watch: NBC or stream on Peacock
Will Justin Herbert’s streak continue?
The touchdown total thrown by Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (13) this season pales compared to his previous production. But since throwing an interception in Week 2, Herbert has gone 305 passing attempts without an interception.
That ties for the ninth-longest interception-free streak in NFL history, and it makes him only the fourth quarterback to go 10 consecutive games without a pick, with a minimum of 15 attempts per game. The club currently includes Tom Brady (2010), Derek Carr (2018) and Jared Goff (2022-23).
Herbert’s ability to minimize mistakes mirrors his team’s. The Chargers have only six turnovers, the fewest in league history through 12 game since 1938.
Mahomes heating up
Patrick Mahomes is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. Except, he didn’t look like it to start this season. Bad news for opponents: Mahomes is heating up.
Mahomes in KC’s first seven games: 8 passing TDs, 9 interceptions, 84.9 rating, 235.9 yards per game.
Mahomes in KC’s last five games: 11 passing TDs, 2 interceptions, 100.4 rating, 265.6 yards per game.
The Chargers are lacking a signature win this year
An NFL team can only play the games on its schedule. Still, despite their 8-4 record, the Chargers could use an inspiring win on 'Sunday Night Football.'
Of Los Angeles’s eight wins in 2024, only one win has come against a team currently over .500. The Chargers beat the now-8-5 Denver Broncos when rookie quarterback Bo Nix was still getting his feet wet in Week 6.
Los Angeles has played well but fallen short to top competition this year, including losses to the Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens — all of whom are in the AFC playoff picture as of Sunday. Those three defeats came by a combined 24 points.
The Chiefs have dominated the Chargers the last eight seasons
Dating back to 2016, the Chiefs are 12-3 against the Chargers — an .800 winning percentage — including five straight wins. In that time, Kansas City has won the AFC West every season, and has made four Super Bowls, winning three.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has only made the playoffs twice since 2016. And the Chargers haven’t won the division since 2009, when Norv Turner was coaching Philip Rivers and the then-San Diego Chargers.
The AFC West is probably out of reach for Los Angeles this year (barring an utter collapse from the Chiefs down the stretch), but the Chargers are hoping Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert can close the gap against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
The Chargers have a big-armed quarterback, but their success lies elsewhere
The Chargers enter Sunday night with one of the more exciting quarterbacks in the league in Justin Herbert.
The No. 6 pick from the 2020 draft is a film-watcher favorite for his big arm and athleticism.
However, in the first year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles’s formula for success has relied on rushing and defense as opposed to a down-the-field passing attack.
Entering Sunday, the Chargers are one of nine teams in the NFL averaging under 200 passing yards a game. Instead, they are running for 112.9 a week, up from 96.6 a season ago. The defense, meanwhile, has improved from 27th to 13th in total yards allowed a game.
Running is going to be a challenge on Sunday, though, as Los Angeles will be without its leading rusher J.K. Dobbins. Gus Edwards will be the lead back on the depth chart against the Chiefs, and he’s averaged only 3.4 yards per carry this season.