End of a dynasty ?
Sep 05, 2025
NFL: LA Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
It is always dangerous to write off champions and the Chiefs have been the dominant force in the NFL in recent years and went close to an historic three-peat last season. However, their performances were not as good as results indicated and after their Super Bowl defeat I noted .....
Hard to believe just how bad the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes were last night and the closest comparison I can make is when Brazil lost 7-1 at home to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi final, then, like now, it felt like the end of a dynasty.
These issues were coming for a long time and even at the end of the 2023 campaign, when they won the SB, I noted that superstar QB Patrick Mahomes had really only one ground option and 2-3 receivers, one of whom was a Tight End, albeit an elite one. They come into the new season even more handicapped, that TE, Travis Kelce, is soon to turn 36yo and seems busier in the media, with his podcast, television commitments and high profile relationship than on the football field and KC look very short in the receiver department. Their OL line appears suspect and will PM get the protection he needs and will the Chiefs have as much good fortune this time round ? After going 11-0 in regular season games decided by one score or less. There has to be some balancing out in that alone, superstar athletes do amazing things and PM is a GOAT contender but his win rate was 64% in close games prior to that run, which is great anyway, but equates to 7-4, not 11-0 and now he "owes" at least 4 wins as a starting point! They lost a top quality cornerback and safety and need rookie draftees to step up in those key positions and whilst, as I started by saying, it is dangerous to write them off, they need a lot to go their way again and you can only go the well so often, before it comes up dry!
Two of those narrow wins were over the Chargers, including by 2 points here at Arrowhead in December (late season). LA head coach Jim Harbaugh is in his second season and 12 months ago I wrote .....
LA new head coach Jim Harbaugh is the real deal and was 44-19 in regular season and 5-3 in the postseason with the 49ers in the only four years he has coached in the NFL and then went back to college football where he was wildly successful with Michigan and it was and is unheard of for a winning NFL coach to return to the college game. His record at SF is even more noteworthy as the Niners did not have a winning season for 13 years either side of his tenure, 9 before his arrival and 4 after!
He guided the Chargers to a 11-6 season (four losses by a TD or less), despite being injury hit for much of it and up from 5-12 in 2023, it was a fantastic turnaround and just 301 points allowed was the lowest in the NFL and 402 scored was more than the Chiefs, their divisional rival.
Harbaugh took the 49ers to the playoffs in his first season and to the Super Bowl in his second and LA will be hoping that history repeats. They have a quality QB in Justin Herbert who has had five great regular seasons in the NFL, but two poor postseason ones and the jury remains out on him in the very biggest games, but that is a discussion for down the line. GM Joe Hortiz has been busy and hunted high and low for more offensive options and to bolster the OL, all of which he has done. The defense was elite,the offense and QB (at least in regular season play) pretty good and Herbert will get more protection and more passing options. They had one major problem and it is a long standing one and they have not had a 1,000 yard running back since 2017. J.K Dobbins was close with 905 yards last season, but LA felt they could do better and signed Nagee Harris ( four straight 1000+ yard seasons)and drafted Omarion Hampton (1,500+ yards in each of his last two seasons at college). With Dobbins moving to divisional rivals the Denver Broncos. Harris was in doubt for today after missing almost all of training camp with a July 4 firework injury to his eye. He is said to be good to go, but we do not know how much missing training has set him back. It all sounds pretty good. The unknown factor is that the game is being played in Sao Paulo in Brazil who are hosting for the second year running, the winner will consider it a good omen as SB champions the Philadelphia Eagles opened their season with a win here. 2.25 units LA Chargers +2.5 points @ 2.16 Pinnacle/Vegas line , the money line odds @ circa 2.45 appeal almost as much.
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