This breakdown has All-22 photos to accompany it at The Athletic link.
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How the Chargers slowed down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense
Daniel Popper
The Chargers earned a road win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in large part because of an excellent defensive game plan that was executed nearly flawlessly.
The game plan boiled down to four overarching strategies that went hand in hand:
1. Tempt the Chiefs into running the ball
2. Keep Mahomes contained in the pocket
3. Prevent explosive passing plays
4. Force turnovers
The Chargers achieved all four of these goals. That is why they held the Chiefs to only 24 points and why Mahomes had one of the least efficient passing performances of his career.
Coach Brandon Staley, the Chargers’ defensive play caller, added a few wrinkles to his scheme and personnel in this game.
First, he started speedy corner Tevaughn Campbell at nickel to match up with the Chiefs’ two blazing-fast wide receivers, Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman.
Second, he played more of his dime package, which features six defensive backs on the field. Over the first two weeks of the season, the Chargers spent only 10.1 percent of their defensive snaps in dime, according to TruMedia. That rate jumped to 30.3 percent against the Chiefs.
Third, Staley called more man coverages. The Chargers ended up in man-to-man on 68.4 percent of their snaps against the Chiefs, according to Pro Football Focus. Over the first two weeks, the Chargers only played man on 18.3 percent of their snaps.
The results were impressive. With sticky coverage and a disciplined and consistent pass rush working together, the Chargers limited Mahomes to just 5.9 yards per passing attempt. It was just the third time in Mahomes career that he posted a yards-per-attempt under 6.0.
Even further, Mahomes was uncharacteristically mortal on throws to the deep part of the field. According to TruMedia, Mahomes went just 2-for-9 on throws that traveled 15 or more yards in the air. On those throws, which included two interceptions, Mahomes posted an 8.8 passer rating — the lowest mark in any game of his career on 15-plus-yard passes.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs took Staley’s bait and leaned into running the ball. Excluding Mahomes’ four scrambles, their 26 rushing attempts to running backs and wide receivers were the most in any loss since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018, according to Sportradar. The Chargers were comfortable taking body blows and jabs if it meant avoiding the “knockout punches,” as Staley put it after the game.
The marriage and synergy between the Chargers’ coverage and pass rush was really impressive. And it started from the Chiefs’ very first possession of the game.
On this first-and-10 with 11:43 left in the first quarter, Mahomes dropped back off play action. Joey Bosa, on the left, and Uchenna Nwosu, on the right, sealed off the edges.
Mahomes stepped up in the pocket but did not have a ton of room to operate thanks to Linval Joseph’s interior rush. Downfield, the Chargers were connected in their coverage. Mahomes tried to find Travis Kelce.
But cornerback Michael Davis had him smothered.
On the next play, Bosa jumped offside, giving Mahomes a free play. He escaped to his left and looked to unleash a throw downfield with no risk of a turnover. But the Chargers, once again, were locked on all the Chiefs receivers.
Mahomes had to settle for a 12-yard scramble.
In his career, Mahomes has averaged 22.93 yards per attempt on free plays from defensive offside, according to TruMedia. This was a huge win and exemplified how the Chargers’ coverage execution helped bring the game plan to life.
Later in the first quarter, the Chiefs tried to dial up a shot play to Hill while in Chargers territory. Mahomes faked a handoff, and Hill ran a deep post. Again, Bosa and Nwosu sealed off the edges, preventing Mahomes from buying time by moving laterally.
As Hill broke free from Davis, Mahomes stepped up in the pocket. Derwin James, who was playing deep-field safety, held his positioning close enough to the middle of the field to threaten making a play on that post.
Nwosu then did an excellent job of shedding his block and getting pressure on Mahomes, who didn’t have the time or space to release the throw downfield.
Mahomes settled for a 6-yard checkdown to running back Damien Williams.
On the rare occasion that Mahomes did get outside the pocket, the Chargers were outstanding in their pursuit and scramble-drill coverage — like on this red-zone snap early in the third quarter.
No one was open as Mahomes hit the bottom of his drop.
But Bosa, coming off the defense’s left edge, drove too far upfield on his outside rush. That created an escape lane for Mahomes.
As Mahomes got outside, defensive lineman Jerry Tillery and linebacker Kyzir White clamped down. And the coverage was just tight enough to erase an obvious throwing lane.
Mahomes threw the ball into the dirt for an incompletion.
Later, in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs turned to a designed play-action rollout to move the pocket. Even then, the Chargers maintained their coverage assignments.
Mahomes had to settle for a checkdown to tight end Noah Gray that only went for 5 yards.
Combine this defensive execution with four turnovers — two fumbles on top of the two interceptions — and you have the recipe to slow down the Chiefs.
We will see if Staley and the Chargers can do it again on Dec. 16 when the division rivals meet at SoFi Stadium for “Thursday Night Football.”
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