Insta-reaction as Chiefs lose to the Chargers. Now can we get to the playoffs, please?
With all due respect (which means you know someone is about to be disrespected), how many teams from recent Chiefs history would lose to the 2020 Chiefs JV?
The bidding starts with the 2008 and 2012 disasters, and might include a few others — this franchise once sold Tyler Thigpen as The Answer, after all — but it’s as interesting as anything else from a game in which the Chiefs’ performance had no tangible meaning.
The Chiefs lost 38-21 to the Chargers, and other than reinforce the idea that Patrick Mahomes and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert are going to play a lot of fun games against each other in years to come, the takeaways from Sunday aren’t revelatory.
DeAndre Baker was taking advantage of his second NFL chance before suffering what appeared to be a devastating knee injury.
Willie Gay also left with an injury.
Byron Pringle continues to show well when given opportunities.
Tim Ward had a lot of great moments.
Mecole Hardman needs to be sure on punt returns.
BoPete Keyes will learn from this film, or perish.
If you thought the Chiefs’ makeshift offensive line was rough, meet the backups!
Also, Mahomes throws his used chewing gum in the trash can, which is apparently worthy of praise on network airtime?
The most important developments came with Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyrann Mathieu, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Eric Fisher, Frank Clark and others sitting out. Assuming they drove home safely, that’s the most important news. We will not present ground beef as prime rib here.
The Chiefs had some defenders fall, some linemen get beat, and passes dropped. Their backups were competitive for a half or so, but they were eventually overwhelmed against a talented and presumably rising franchise. Chiefs fans of a certain age — eighth grade will do — might have grown nostalgic.
We also saw some bright spots. Ward was too much for the Chargers’ blocking on many snaps. Pringle ran precise routes and reminded anyone who might’ve forgotten that he’s also a strong downfield blocker, which is an undervalued trait for receivers.
The Chiefs give their stars a disproportionate amount of their salary cap and attention, which is how it should be. But with those guys in track suits, the backups showed some nice moments as well.
That’s a sign of a deepened roster, of course, which is a credit to the work begun under John Dorsey’s leadership and taken to another level under Brett Veach’s. It’s also a marker of a strong culture, one in which the standard is the standard even when the talent shifts.
This is how the Chiefs beat a playoff team last year with starting quarterback Matt Moore, who three months earlier was coaching at his old high school.
You can see certain things in moments like this, if you know where to look. Most of the team surrounding Baker and offering support as he was carted off the field. Nick Keizer and others pushing the pile forward for Anthony Sherman to convert a first down.
Chad Henne — making his first start in more than six years — getting calls in on time, throwing accurately, generally having the Chiefs looking like an NFL offense.
We often call these games meaningless, and they are in the standings. They’re a good opportunity to run an errand, or spend more time on Red Zone. The difference in talent between Sunday and what we’ll see in the Chiefs’ first playoff game in two weeks cannot be overstated.
But they can serve as windows into what’s beneath all that talent. The preparation, the togetherness, the effort.
The Chiefs passed all those tests Sunday, even as they were out-talented against a non-playoff team with a coach on the hot seat.
Let’s be clear: None of that is nearly as important as what happens in two weeks, and these tests are closer to the ante required to compete than guiding truths to be celebrated.
But they are something. And in a game like this, that’s about all we can see.
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 6:20 PM.