Here's why the Chiefs know that the Chargers will be well prepared despite having multiple key injuries
The Los Angeles Chargers are dealing with multiple key injuries as they get set to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Chargers lost both starting offensive tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, as well as pass rusher Joey Bosa and quarterback Justin Herbert during their 20-10 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. […]
The Los Angeles Chargers are dealing with multiple key injuries as they get set to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The Chargers lost both starting offensive tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, as well as pass rusher Joey Bosa and quarterback Justin Herbert during their 20-10 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Regardless of if any of them play this week, the Chiefs are expecting the Chargers to be well prepared and give them their best shot. The reason for that is the respect that they have for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Chiefs coach Andy Reid knows how well-rounded and detailed Harbaugh's teams always are.
"First of all, he was phenomenal football coach, and he's proven that at every level," Reid told reporters on Wednesday. "So, that'll be no different here with the Chargers. And it's a physical football team that when you play them, you know that on both sides of the ball, and special teams are going to be sound. They're going to be able to do everything that's said. They're gonna be able throw the ball as well as run the ball. So you got to be ready for a complete game. Their defenses are going to give you a variety of looks. You got to be on your game when you play their their defense. They're one of the top defenses in the NFL right now. So it's a tribute to how they've gone about their business."
Reid has only faced Harbaugh once, which was back during the 2014 season when the Harbaugh-led San Francisco 49ers beat the Chiefs 22-17. Harbaugh coached the Niners from 2011-2014 before leaving for the Michigan Wolverines in the college ranks.
Sunday's game will be Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes first matchup against Harbaugh. Mahomes has been impressed with how the Chargers have played under him and remembers how former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith spoke of Harbaugh while playing for him in San Francisco.
"You can tell first off, this is how hard they play," Mahomes said. "I mean, everybody on that entire team, they believe and they play extremely hard every single snap. They fly around to the football. You can tell that they understand the scheme and what they're doing. And then, I mean, from everything I've heard from Harbaugh, I haven't got to meet him yet, but he heard he's a great coach, a great person. I mean, Alex Smith talked very highly of him whenever he was here, and how organized and how he got the team ready to go every single week. And so you've seen that every stop he's been he's won, and that speaks to him and his mentality and how he coaches his guys."
Harbaugh isn't going to allow his team to roll over and play dead because they're beat up. You can bet that he'll spend this week scheming around the injuries and playing to the strengths of his backups should they have to play.
Harbaugh will also have his team plenty motivated, knowing how huge it would be to beat the top dogs in the division early in the season. The Chiefs have narrowly escaped with victory in each of their first three games this season, so they know they can't afford to not put their best foot forward.
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Are these criticisms fair or out of line?
