STADIUM: SoFi Stadium
REFEREE: Scott Novak
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 2024
GAME TIME: 4:25 PM ET
CBS: Spero Dedes, Adam Archuletta, Aditi Kinkhabwala
SiriusXM (also available on the SXM App) KC: 162 or 381 LAC: 81 or 226
ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY REG. SEASON: KC leads series, 68-57-1 (won past 4. THE LAST TIME: REG. SEASON: 10/22/23: LAC 17 at KC 31.
HEAD COACHES NOTES: Andy Reid vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 18-6 Reg. Season: 257-144-1 (.641) Postseason: 22-16 (.632). Giff Smith vs. Opponent (incl. postseason): 0-0 Reg. Season: 0-2 (.000) Postseason: 0-0 (.000).
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS NOTES:
• CHIEFS clinched AFC West division title for 8th-straight season, 2nd-longest streak of division titles in NFL history.
• QB PATRICK MAHOMES completed 21 of 29 atts. (72.4 pct.) for 245 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs with 109.1 rating last week. Ranks 5th in NFL with 4,183 pass yards & is 1 of 2 all-time (HOFer Peyton Manning) with 4,000+ pass yards in 6 of 1st 7 seasons.
• QB BLAINE GABBERT expected to make 1st start since 2018 & 1st with KC.
• RB ISIAH PACHECO led team with career-high 165 scrimmage yards (130 rush, 35 rec.) with career-best 7 catches & rec. TD last week. Aims for 5th in row with TD. Has 120+ scrimmage yards in 2 of past 3. Had TD catch in Week 7 meeting.
• TE TRAVIS KELCE has 5+ catches in 3 of past 4. Has 55+ rec. yards in 5 of past 6 on road. Had season-high 12 catches for 179 yards & TD in Week 7 meeting & has 100+ rec. yards in 4 of his past 5 vs. LAC. Needs 7 catches for 4th-career 100-catch season & 16 rec. yards for 8th-straight 1,000-yard season.
• WR RASHEE RICE (rookie) had 5 catches for career-high 127 yards in Week 17, 6th-straight game with 5+ catches & 55+ rec. yards. Had TD catch in Week 7 meeting. Ranks 2nd among rookies with 938 rec. yards & can become 1st KC rookie ever with 1,000+ rec. yards.
• DT CHRIS JONES aims for 3rd in row with sack. Has 2 sacks in 2 of his past 3 vs. LAC. Needs half sack for 3rd-career 10-sack season.
• DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS had 1.5 sacks last week. Had sack in Week 7 meeting. Leads team with career-best 10.5 sacks in 2023.
• LB NICK BOLTON led team with season-high 13 tackles & had PD last week. Has 5+ tackles in 7 of 8 games this season.
• CB L’JARIUS SNEED has 6 PD in his past 4. • S JUSTIN REID had career-high 2 sacks in Week 17.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS NOTES:
• QB EASTON STICK totaled 251 yards (220 pass, career-high 31 rush) last week. Aims for 4th in row with 215+ pass yards & 3rd in row with 0 INTs.
• RB AUSTIN EKELER has 50+ scrimmage yards in 3 of past 4. Has 714 scrimmage yards (102 per game) in 7 home games this season. Has 80+ scrimmage yards in 4 of his past 5 vs. KC. Has 1,015 scrimmage yards, 4th-career 1,000-yard season. Has 69 career TDs (39 rush, 30 rec.), tied with Rod Smith for 3rd-most by undrafted player in common-draft era.
• WR KEENAN ALLEN aims for his 10th in row with 55+ rec. yards & 8th in row with 5+ catches. Has 50+ rec. yards in 14 of 15 career games vs. KC, with 5+ catches in 6 of past 7. Ranks 4th in NFL with career-high 108 catches, single-season franchise record.
• WR ALEX ERICKSON led team with season highs in catches (7) & rec. yards (98) last week.
• TE GERALD EVERETT has 5+ catches in 3 of past 4. Has a TD catch in 2 of 3 career games vs. KC, incl. in Week 7 meeting.
• LB KHALIL MACK had 7 tackles, 2 TFL & career-high 16th sack of season last week. Has TFL in 9 of past 10. Has 0.5+ sacks in 6 of his past 8 vs. KC. Needs sack to tie single-season franchise record (17 by Shawne Merriman in 2006 & Leslie O’Neal in 1992).
• LB ERIC KENDRICKS led team with season-high 14 tackles & had PD last week. Aims for 3rd in row at home with 0.5+ sacks. Had 9 tackles & FF in Week 7 meeting. Is 1 of 2 (Bobby Wagner) with 100+ tackles in each of past 8 seasons.
• LB NICK NIEMANN had career-high 10 tackles & FR last week.
• S DERWIN JAMES had 12 tackles, 2 PD & sack last week. Has PD in 3 of past 4. Has 5+ tackles in 14 of 15 games this season & ranks tied-3rd among DBs with 117 tackles in 2023.
