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Week 13 Game Recap: San Diego Chargers 24, Kansas City Chiefs 10
What you need to know
| San Diego Chargers |
Star RB LaDainian Tomlinson continued to pile up milestones. Besides going over 100 rushing yards for the game and 1,000 rushing yards for the season, he also passed his idol Walter Payton on the league's all-time rushing touchdown list. Tomlinson now has 110 career scores, with Marcus Allen next up at 123.
QB Philip Rivers certainly wasn't great, but he played well enough in victory. He made another handful of terrible passes, but on a day when San Diego faced off against one of the league's worst offensive teams, he didn't need to make a ton of plays. And he did make the one big pass he needed to.
TE Antonio Gates was shockingly quiet, and unless you're in a point per reception league, you'd have been better off starting yourself at tight end this week. Gates caught just one pass and lost a yard on the play.
| Kansas City Chiefs |
In the battle of standout tight ends, Tony Gonzalez won this matchup hands down. He led all players with ten receptions for 140 yards, and at some points he was the Kansas City offense.
RB Kolby Smith, out to prove he wasn't just a one hit wonder after his fantastic game against Oakland, ran hard and put up solid albeit unspectacular numbers. The fact that San Diego pulled away in the second half hurt Smith's final total, though he did manage to pick up four yards per carry and handle a full load.
Allen is typically a defensive end for the Chiefs, and is the team leader in sacks. In this game, he lined up on offense as a tight end with the Chiefs at the San Diego two yard line. After the snap, he ran a route into the left corner of the end zone as Damon Huard floated a pass towards the sideline. Allen out ran his defender and made a tough sliding grab before going out of bounds for his first career touchdown.
QB Damon Huard was banged-up late in the game, leaving with what appeared to be some sort of hand injury. Third stringer Tyler Thigpen finished up the game for the Chiefs.
What you ought to know
| QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 10 - 21 - 157 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Rivers once again was very up and down. At times, he showed the immaturity that has plagued him throughout this season, such as when he flung the ball towards the ground after he had a pass batted down at the line (the flip of the ball resulted in a penalty against his team). He also made a horrid decision on an interception by CB Ty Law. But other times, such as the 38 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson, he put the ball absolutely on the money where it needed to be.
The afternoon began inauspiciously for Rivers, as he was sacked on the very first play from scrimmage. He would be sacked twice more before the game was over, and he faced a pretty stout pass rush from Kansas City for much of the first half. On the Chargers' second possession, Rivers missed an opportunity for a long touchdown pass to Chris Chambers when he underthrew him down the sideline. Chambers was WIDE open and had gotten a good five yards beyond the last defender and was streaking downfield uncovered. Rivers, facing an oncoming pass rush, delivered the ball downfield but it hung up for a bit. Chambers had to wait a long time for it to get to him, and he was tackled almost immediately. So, the Chargers had to settle for a 37 yard pass play rather than a 47 yard touchdown. That drive resulted in a Nate Kaeding field goal. Rivers later had another opportunity for a long passing touchdown on a flea flicker. He heaved the ball to TE Antonio Gates in the end zone, but Gates was double covered on the play. Rivers failed to see a wide open Vincent Jackson down the seam for what would've been an easy score. Rivers and Jackson DID eventually hook up on a beautiful 38 yard touchdown midway through the second quarter to tie the game at ten apiece.
After halftime, the Chargers really took the air out of the ball and opted to let LaDainian Tomlinson grind out the victory for them. Rivers attempted just five passes in the entire second half, and they were all screens and dump-offs for short yardage (three passes went to Tomlinson, one went to TE Brandon Manumaleuna, and one to FB Lorenzo Neal).
| RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 23 - 177 - 2, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) |
Tomlinson enjoyed a fantastic second half en route to one of his best games of the season. In the process, he tied and then surpassed his idol, former Chicago Bears RB Walter Payton, on the league's all time rushing touchdown list. After the game, an emotional Tomlinson reflected on how much it meant for him to even be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Payton. What the humble Tomlinson failed to mention is how legendary his own statistics are starting to appear. He went over the 100 yard mark for the game midway through the third quarter, and broke the 1,000 yard milestone with a nice 34 yard run up the sideline later on. He showed his customary shiftiness and elusiveness in the open field, and Kansas City had a lot of trouble getting a good hand on him. On the second touchdown run, the entire Chiefs defense knew Tomlinson would be getting the ball on a third and one call from the Kansas City 28 yard line. But Kansas City sold out so hard on the run that once he broke through the first wall of tacklers, there was no one left in the defensive backfield and he waltzed into the end zone basically untouched. Anyone who is still concerned with Tomlinson's off season can take solace in the knowledge that after this game he's now currently on pace for a shade under 2,000 total yards (1,968) and 16 total touchdowns -- and with games still remaining against the likes of Detroit, Denver, and Oakland.
| WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 2 - 50 - 0 (5 targets) |
Perhaps all he needed was to get out of Miami. Because since Chris Chambers has joined the Chargers, he has shown a propensity to hold onto just about every football that makes its way to his hands. He could have scored a 47 yard touchdown on the team's second possession in the game, but Philip Rivers was under pressure and barely had time to release the ball. He got it far enough downfield that Chambers was at least able to get 37 yards out of it. Later, Chambers made a tough grab alone the sideline in which he held onto the football despite taking a big hit in the process. Chambers, along with every other player not named LaDainian, had an extremely quiet and uneventful second half. The Chargers opted to run, run, run, and in the process they only threw the ball a paltry five times (with none of those passes going to a wide receiver).
| WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 1 - 38 - 1 (4 targets) |
Jackson was far more active than he's been in recent weeks (at least relative to the other receivers), though it isn't necessarily reflected in the statistics. While he did haul in the only passing touchdown on the day for San Diego, it was also his only reception of the game. He should have had a second touchdown on a flea flicker, but QB Philip Rivers never saw him streaking down the middle of the field wide open and instead opted to throw to TE Antonio Gates in double coverage.
| TE Brandon Manumaleuna, Rec: 2 - 48 - 0 (2 targets) |
Manumaleuna, who is typically known as the blocking tight end for the Chargers, enjoyed the rare opportunity to outperform teammate Antonio Gates. Granted, it was far easier with Gates having such a limited role in the passing game, but perhaps all the extra attention being paid to Gates could explain why Manumaleuna was able to streak down the middle of the field uncovered for a 40 yard pass play in the first half. He was thrown to just once more after that, but that play alone made him the number two receiver for the Chargers on the afternoon.
| TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Coming one week after perhaps his best statistical game of the season, Gates had the worst statistical game of his career. Some of it could have had something to do with the fact that San Diego opted to run the ball almost exclusively after halftime, but the fact remains that Gates was rarely seen in the passing game and wasn't a consideration once the Chargers got the lead. He was targeted deep in the end zone on a flea-flicker pass that went into double coverage and had almost no chance of being caught anyway, and that was pretty much the extent of any excitement for his day.
| PK Nate Kaeding 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points |
Kaeding connected on a 25 yard chip shot field goal, but later pushed one wide left from 45 yards out. The Chargers also nearly botched an extra point attempt, but Kaeding did a good job of waiting out the holder and banging it through without any momentum.
| SD Rush Defense |
Kolby Smith actually did a fairly good job running the ball, and the Kansas City offensive line did a fine job of opening holes against a stout San Diego front seven. But the Chiefs quickly fell behind after halftime, and needed to take to the air almost exclusively. That came at the expense of the running game, which had certainly done its job to that point in keeping the Chiefs in the game. Smith finished up averaging nearly four yards per carry, including what was at the time a crucial first down pickup on a fourth down run. The Chargers entered the game as a mediocre run defense stat-wise, but that was heavily skewed by the record-setting performance of the Vikings' Adrian Peterson several weeks ago. So in actuality, if considering that game as an anomaly, San Diego is actually a very good run defense which makes Smith's four yards per carry and ability to consistently move the chains that much more impressive.
| SD Pass Defense |
This was the main area of difference between the two clubs. While San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers made a few mistakes here and there, they were mostly of his own doing. On the other side of the football, the San Diego pass defense is the biggest reason they were able to make plays for themselves. The Chargers held rookie WR Dwayne Bowe (who had lit them up for eight receptions and 164 yards earlier this season) in check, to the tune of five catches for 55 yards. They also returned to their 2006 ways by getting intense pressure on the quarterback. They sacked Kansas City quarterbacks eight times, which is one more than the Chiefs had ever allowed in a game prior to this one. LB Shawne Merriman had three of the eight sacks, and his partner in crime, LB Shaun Phillips added another 1.5. The two wrought havoc in the Kansas City backfield all afternoon, and that was never more evident than when Phillips came off the edge to knock the ball from QB Damon Huard's hands for the fumble. The ball was quickly pounced on by the aforementioned Merriman for the turnover. In addition to that turnover, CB Antonio Cromartie continued his ascension towards superstardom with his league-leading seventh and eighth interceptions of the season. About the lone negative on the day for San Diego's pass defense was allowing TE Tony Gonzalez to roam wild for 140 yards on ten receptions -- although we should remember that this is hardly the first time Gonzalez has had his way with the opposition. S Clinton Hart had a rough day -- he was beaten on the touchdown pass to DE Jared Allen and later dropped an easy interception that was right in his hands on a deep ball intended for WR Dwayne Bowe down the sideline.
| QB Damon Huard, Pass: 19 - 34 - 186 - 1 TD / 2 INT |
In fairness to Huard, there aren't many quarterbacks in the league that could have withstood the pounding he took from the San Diego pass rush and live to tell about it. That being said, he didn't help his case much by failing to do much of anything to help his team win. Huard's statistics look decent enough, but most of the time he was simply dumping passes off on short routes to Dwayne Bowe and/or heaving a prayer downfield time and again (prayers that were answered more often than not by TE Tony Gonzalez). Gonzalez was by far his favorite target, as he saw twelve of Huard's passes on the day. Huard caught a bit of bad luck early in the game when WR Eddie Kennison dropped what would've been a sure touchdown in the end zone, a play that left Huard visibly frustrated and angry while walking off the field. But he can't complain, because he also had the good fortune to have Jared Allen, typically a defensive end, line up at tight end for a two yard touchdown pass into the back corner. The pass by Huard was very well thrown, but the sliding grab by Huard was fantastic -- so again, it's tough for Huard to complain about the hands of his receivers considering he had a DE make the best catch of the day for him. As noted above, Huard was sacked repeatedly by San Diego defenders, and HC Herm Edwards had no answers to stop or even slow the Chargers pass rush. Additionally, if there is an all time world record for most passes batted down at the line of scrimmage by the opposition, Huard may be getting close to it. During one stretch, he had more passes sent back in his own direction than made it downfield. Late in the game, Huard appeared to injure his hand and he was replaced by Tyler Thigpen.
| QB Tyler Thigpen, Pass: 2 - 6 - 41 - 0 TD / 1 INT |
Making his NFL debut, Thigpen entered the game late for the injured Damon Huard, who left after hurting his hand in the fourth quarter. Thigpen's first pass of his career was a crisp, 22 yard slant to WR Dwayne Bowe. That would be the end of Thigpen's highlight reel, however, as he finished up 1-5 for 19 yards and an awful interception on the remainder of his passes.
| RB Kolby Smith, Rush: 21 - 83 - 0, Rec: 2 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Coming off a terrific performance against the lowly Oakland Raiders, a lot of people were curious to see how Smith would perform against one of the league's more respected rushing defenses. The answer: four yards per carry, and he looked pretty good in doing so. When the game was still close, he was able to consistently keep the chains moving and pick up positive yardage. He added a couple of receptions in the passing game, but was far from a huge contributor there (then again, no one on the Chiefs contributed much in the passing game outside of Tony Gonzalez and to a lesser extent, Dwayne Bowe). Smith converted a key fourth down run late in the third quarter and rarely got tackled on first contact, two signs that are sure to impress the coaching staff and ensure consistent carries going forward. Perhaps most importantly, with the turnover-fest going on with the rest of the Kansas City offense, Smith didn't come close to losing the football on any of his 23 touches.
| WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 5 - 55 - 0 (12 targets) |
After Bowe's last meeting with the Chargers, a game which he put up spectacular numbers, it appeared that San Diego wanted to ensure he wasn't going to roam free all game long again. He did manage to catch five passes, but none of them went very far and his long gain was just 22 yards. That means his other four receptions went for just 33 yards, which illustrates just how well the Chargers did at containing him and preventing the big play. He did have a chance to salvage his afternoon and put up bigger stats, but a pass from Tyler Thigpen at the San Diego 45 yard line on Kansas City's final possession went through his hands near the goal line for an incompletion.
| WR Eddie Kennison, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 (5 targets) |
Kennison's day began inauspiciously and only got worse from there. He dropped a touchdown in the end zone from 20 yards out on Kansas City's opening possession, and the team settled for a field goal. He was also the targeted receiver on both of Damon Huard's interceptions. And to top it all off, he was the target of a key fourth down pass that fell incomplete and really put the Chargers in the driver's seat. On the play, Kennison actually appeared to have caught the ball and then fumbled it away, which would've led to an easy San Diego touchdown the other way. So ironically, it was actually better for him to have not caught the ball and converted the play. Despite the five targets, Kennison didn't record a catch in the game.
| TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 10 - 140 - 0 (13 targets) |
Gonzalez had his way with the San Diego secondary, torching them to the tune of ten receptions for 140 yards. Gonzalez dominated so thoroughly that he had as many receptions as the entire Chargers team, and only one less reception than the rest of his teammates combined. At times, he appeared to be the only player Damon Huard wanted to throw the ball to -- and with good reason. Gonzalez caught just about everything Huard flung at him, with a good number of his receptions coming on tough leaping catches in traffic and quite a few with defenders literally hanging all over him.
| PK John Carney 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points |
Carney was perfect on his only field goal attempt, a 38 yarder in the first quarter.
| KC Rush Defense |
The fact that the AP report after the game mentioned how LaDainian Tomlinson had only 60 yards in the first half should tell you all you need to know. Sixty yards in one half projects out to 120 for a game, so according to that he was having quite a bit of success before he had success! He did go on to pick up 117 more yards in the second half and add two touchdowns, so a case could probably be made that he greatly improved after halftime. The Chiefs, meanwhile, wilted miserably. They got a nice push up front early on, but that effort was wasted as the Chargers relentlessly pounded the football in the second half. Despite the score being tied at halftime 10-10, the Chargers only needed to throw the ball five times in the second half since they were having so much success on the ground. A lot of that could have had something to do with the early game loss of LB Donnie Edwards to a hamstring injury.
| KC Pass Defense |
The stats will show that Kansas City held Philip Rivers under 50% for the game, allowing just 157 yards to go along with one touchdown and one interception. But the reality is that San Diego hurt themselves on two separate occasions when Philip Rivers was unable to get the ball downfield to his receivers for what should have been easy touchdowns. What's more, nearly all of those statistics were compiled in the first half alone, as San Diego threw just five passes in the second half. There was no reason to throw since they were enjoying so much success running the football, and the rushing success suggests that if they did decide to take a quick shot downfield, the Chiefs likely wouldn't have been ready for it. The team certainly wasn't helped any by the loss of LB Donnie Edwards, who left the game with what was described only as a hamstring injury. His status will be updated throughout the week.
