Tom Krasovic: Chargers have run out of excuses for losing to Andy Reid’s Chiefs (original) (raw)

The Chargers are out of excuses for losing so often to Andy Reid’s Chiefs, who’ll face them Sunday night.

Trashing their final excuse, the Chargers now have their own great coach in Jim Harbaugh, hired in January.

Sure, Reid makes it tough. An all-time great coach, he has turned the Chiefs into an NFL dynasty, winning three Super Bowls since inheriting a 2-14 club.

But divisional competition often levels the field, and when it comes to beating the Chiefs, the Chargers aren’t keeping up with the other AFC West teams. Last season, both the Raiders and Broncos firmly defeated Reid’s Super Bowl-bound team.

Weeks after Brandon Staley’s final Chargers squad looked soft and confused against the Chiefs, the 2023 Raiders of rookie head coach Antonio Pierce hammered Reid’s team on Christmas Day, winning 20-14 behind two defensive touchdowns.

“Everything we talked about – ill intent, violence, physicality, execution, the will to win — we did it! ” Pierce hollered as cigar smoke wafted in the visiting locker room at Arrowhead Stadium.

Sean Payton’s first Broncos team beat the Chiefs by 15 points as Denver held the Chiefs to three field goals. “They were the better football team, and I give them their props,” Patrick Mahomes said after the Broncos intercepted him twice.

The Chargers, meantime, haven’t defeated Reid’s club since September 2021.

They’ve lost six straight games to K.C. And, between 2014-18, Reid’s program beat them nine times in a row.

Harbaugh was hired to stem the red tide of dominance.

I gave Harbaugh a mulligan for L.A.’s 17-10 September loss at the Kroenke Dome. It seemed too soon for the Chargers to match the savvy Chiefs at adjusting to adversity within the game.

But as great coaches tend to do, Harbaugh has effected better habits in short time. By now his club, at 8-4, knows how to win. A more physical style has been established. Quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown only one interception all season, and the Chargers stand among the NFL’s leaders in fewest fumbles and fewest penalties.

Besides, overcoming his team’s most capable rival is a Harbaugh speciality.

As Michigan’s quarterback, he publicly guaranteed and led a road win over Ohio State.

His first Stanford team beat USC as a 41-point underdog.

Harbaugh’s rookie year as an NFL head coach saw his 49ers defeat Pete Carroll’s Seahawks twice, leading to an NFC West title.

As the Chargers attempt to add Reid’s Chiefs to Harbaugh’s book, it wouldn’t be an achievement to stay close to the Chiefs, despite their AFC-best 11-1 record. After all, nine of Kansas City’s wins have come by seven points or fewer, within an NFL-best streak of 14 consecutive wins in “one score” games.

Nor would a fine game from Jesse Minter’s defense qualify as a major feat, given that K.C. stands a modest 11th in points scored and bogged down often in recent home games against the Raiders and Broncos.

It’ll take finishing the game; there, this year’s Broncos and Raiders showed the Chargers what not to do.

Denver positioned itself for a decisive kick only for Chiefs linebacker Leo Chanel to block Will Lutz’s 35-yard try after bowling over a Broncos blocker. The Raiders drove for a potential game-winning field goal. One play before they would’ve tried it, they lost a fumble after quarterback Aidan O’Connell, looking toward a wideout, failed to see a shotgun snap.

A Chargers victory would improve Harbaugh’s chances of landing the franchise’s first home playoff game since … well, it’s been a long time.

It was January 2010, when Norv Turner’s team, a nine-point favorite, lost a Divisional Round game in Mission Valley to Rex Ryan’s Jets.

Originally Published: December 7, 2024 at 3:15 PM PST