Chiefs’ Tershawn Wharton makes lucky save
Kansas City Chiefs player Tershawn Wharton caught a child who fell from stands while trying to get the players’ attention after the Panthers game.
Correction/clarification: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the site of the “Sunday Night Football” game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. They play at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
An AFC West title is on the line for the Week 14 edition of “Sunday Night Football.”
If the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, they’ll secure their ninth consecutive divisional title. A win would give Kansas City the head-to-head tiebreaker and four-game lead over Los Angeles with four weeks remaining.
The Chiefs are coming off a divisional win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday. Leading 19-17 in the game’s final seconds, Kansas City’s defense recovered a fumble by the Raiders after a botched snap within field goal range. It was the Chiefs’ fifth-straight win by seven or fewer points, dating back to their last clash with Las Vegas in late October.
Los Angeles showed off its defensive prowess in its Week 13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. On Sunday, the Chargers allowed just one touchdown and 13 total points, none of which came in the fourth quarter. At 8-4, they’re in a good spot to make the playoffs even if the Chiefs win the division.
Here’s what to know for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 14:
Betting the under might be the wise move in a game between two of the best scoring defenses in the NFL this year.
The Chargers are the No. 1 scoring defense in football in their first year under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Despite falling outside the top 10 in total yards allowed per game (325.8), Los Angeles is allowing fewer than 16 points per game on average.
Looking deeper than the Chargers’ pure volume numbers reveals that, yes, their defense is indeed good.
Los Angeles ranks fourth in EPA/play allowed (-0.076) and sixth in success rate allowed (40.4%). Their passing defense, in particular, is a strength, as it ranks third in dropback EPA/play (-0.057) and fourth in dropback success rate (41.9%).
On the flip side, the Chiefs’ good numbers from a volume standpoint – with top-10 marks in yards allowed per game (311.9) and points allowed per game (19.6) – don’t hold up to as much scrutiny, particularly in recent weeks.
Since Week 9, Kansas City’s defense ranks 30th in EPA/play allowed (0.123). Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants have been worse in that span.
The Chiefs’ passing defense has been its biggest weakness of late, partly thanks to the loss of cornerback Jaylen Watson, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 6. His replacement, Nazeeh Johnson, had been playing poorly before he was eventually benched during the Chiefs’ game against the Raiders on Friday.
Fortunately for Kansas City, the Chargers have relied heavily on their run game on offense this year. The lack of playmaking options in the passing game may do more to even the scales on Sunday night.
“Sunday Night Football” will kick off at its standard start time, 8:20 p.m. ET.
Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties during the game, with Cris Collinsworth providing color commentary and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines during Chiefs vs. Chargers.
NBC’s weekly “Football Night in America” pregame show will begin at 7 p.m. ET and feature insight from a panel of analysts, including Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Devin McCourty, Tony Dungy, and more.
Stream ‘Sunday Night Football’ with a Peacock subscription
For the 2024 NFL season, NBC will broadcast “Sunday Night Football” weekly.
Fans who prefer to stream football games can watch “Sunday Night Football” with a Peacock subscription or with Fubo.
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