King Of Takeaways: Pick-Six From Former Wendy’s Employee Helps Chiefs Past The Chargers
By Simon Carroll
Whoever is doing the NFL scheduling these days needs a payrise. After a Week 1 that kicked off with a potential Super Bowl matchup, the Sunday slate brought plenty of excitement to start the season. And there appeared to be no intention of dialling down the drama for Week 2 either, as the Chargers travelled to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs for our second taste of 2022 Thursday Night Football.
Two AFC heavyweights slugging it out under the lights was sure to draw the attention; Four out of the last five matchups between these two teams have been settled by one score. And whilst one of the noisiest stadiums in the league is an intimidating destination for most teams, The Chargers have fared relatively well on the Kansas-Missouri border in recent years – winning two of their last three visits. This game was unlikely to be a walk in the park for Andy Reid & co.
Despite the tough opponent, Kansas City did ultimately earn a hard-fought 27-24 victory. As the dust settles on a pulsating contest, let’s get into some of the biggest takeaways for both sides:
Arm Talent
The AFC West is quite simply farcical when it comes to offensive firepower. In Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes, Thursday’s matchup showcased two of the NFL’s brightest, most exciting quarterbacks. And whilst you wouldn’t describe the Chiefs’ 27-24 victory as a shootout, both gunslingers had highlight reel moments.
Patrick Mahomes continues to set the gold standard for quarterback play. In an age where we are spoiled with the number of elite QB’s, it’s easy to forget just how much the league has had to adapt to Mahomes and how he fits brilliantly in Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy’s scheme. Against a defense that has become accustomed to dealing with the diverse offense in front of them, Mahomes demonstrated those special moments that so often decide games – none more emphatic than this ridiculous side-arm throw to Jerick McKinnon for the touchdown:
🚨 SIDEARM TOUCHDOWN 🚨@PatrickMahomes x @JetMckinnon1 pic.twitter.com/aP0TdtmSxE
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 16, 2022
Mahomes would describe last night’s win as ‘ugly’, a nod to the standards he sets for himself. In an almost faultless performance (24/35, 235yds, 2TD’s), it’s hard to see the room for personal improvement. Perhaps it’s a testament to The Chargers and their own quarterback that they kept this game as close as it was.
Justin Herbert will be the first to tell you he’s had better days in a white and powder blue jersey. But much like his opposite number (not literally), his stat line of 33/48, 334yds, 3TD’s & 1INT still looks gaudy – you can assume that at least half of all NFL teams would settle for those numbers on a weekly basis. His one major mistake, the pick-six at the goalline, likely decided this contest – but more on that later. What we should be celebrating is the sheer bravery Herbert demonstrated in playing out the contest after a brutal hit to the ribs from Mike Danna. Trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, Herbert pulled himself off the canvas to try and drag The Chargers back in the game. Despite some clutch throws – including a 36 yard 4th down conversion and a beautiful TD strike to Josh Palmer over the middle – his efforts were ultimately in vain.
For Chargers fans, this defeat to a division rival may be a tough pill to swallow. For NFL fans in general, knowing that these two will be squaring off at least twice a year for the next decade-plus is enough to make you salivate.
Welcome To The NFL Jaylen Watson
Now back to that pick-six…
Throwing an interception at the opponent’s goalline is a disappointing outcome when – at the very least – three points is the minimum you expect. To see that mistake returned the length of the field will only compound the misery for Herbert and his teammates, who basically saw a twelve-point swing in the blink of an eye. But if we can get past the Bolts’ disappointment for just a moment, hopefully even the most avid Chargers fan can appreciate the rags to riches moment for Jaylen Watson.
Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Jaylen Watson was a JuCo standout who had a handful of scholarship offers from power-five football programs back in 2019. Despite committing to USC, Watson struggled academically and failed to achieve the required GPA to compete in collegiate sports. The cornerback would return home and end up working with his mother in a Wendy’s restaurant, all the while harboring his dream of one day playing football for a living. After extra tuition, Watson ultimately got his grades up enough to enroll at Washington State, and last April was selected in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Chiefs.
Watson was a long-shot to make the roster but prevailed through training camp. And after first round rookie Trent McDuffie suffered an injury against the Cardinals last week, he was thrust into the starting lineup. Already having recorded three tackles, Watson jumped a short Herbert pass intended for tight end Gerald Everett with perfect timing – snagging the ball in stride and returning the interception the length of the field for the touchdown:
UNREAL. 7th-round rookie @JaylenWatson12 just went 99 yards for a Pick-6! 🔥 #ChiefsKingdom #LACvsKC on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2022
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/Fa02SqPmRn pic.twitter.com/b2f4GIup1G
Adversity adorns the NFL like a Super Bowl ring sits on one of Tom Brady’s fingers. It goes hand in hand with the sport, and there are countless tales of players overcoming the odds to make their mark. Jaylen Watson just introduced himself to the league, and has a moment to remember. It’s now up to him to make sure it’s not the only memory he keeps once his playing days are done.
Same Old Story For Chargers Offensive Line
Despite making a concerted effort to improve Justin Herbert’s protection the past two offseasons, The Chargers have once again been blighted by injury on the offensive line. Center Corey Linsley crucially went out of this game with a worrying knee injury – and only a handful of plays later, Trey Pipkins also left the game (ankle). First round picks Zion Johnson and Rashawn Slater are certainly upgrades on an o-line that was neglected in the Philip Rivers era. But as a group, the five men up front are usually only as good as the worst member. And in Will Clapp and Storm Norton, The Chargers had two vulnerabilities on Thursday Night.
All of a sudden, Chris Jones started affecting the line of scrimmage, registering two sacks. Nick Bolton was able to meet running backs coming through the gaps. And of course, there was the huge hit from Mike Danna that left many Chargers fans with their hearts in their mouths. After the contest Brandon Staley stated he expected his quarterback to be okay, but Herbert was still sent for precautionary x-rays on his ribs. If the Chargers head coach wishes to emulate his former employer and take his own team to the promised land, this franchise must continue to pour resources into their offensive line – and more immediately, get some bodies back healthy in time for next week’s visit of Jacksonville.
Good Luck Fantasy Owners
Much like myself, neither of these two teams care much for fantasy football. Gone are the days of one-dimensional offenses, where you can rely on a single ball-carrier or pass catcher to pick up the bulk of the work. Andy Reid is notorious for spreading the touches around, and it was no different on Thursday night; six different sets of hands toted the rock out of the backfield, and NINE different receivers made catches – none of which had more than five receptions or 51 yards. Justin Watson, a free agent signing from Tampa who has had just 22 catches in his career before getting to KC, had almost the same yardage as Travis Kelce, but with a touchdown to boot. What are the fantasy nerds supposed to do with that?!
Of course The Chargers aren’t much better. In the absence of Keenan Allen, DeAndre Carter and Josh Palmer increased their workshare. And rookie fullback Alexander Horvath recorded his second touchdown in his first two professional games as Joe Lombardi seems to have taken a leaf right out of the Kansas City playbook. It is utter fantasy chaos, and I am here for all of it.
No doubt I’m going to get some fantasy ‘guru’ on my twitter timeline explaining the intricacies of player selection, or accounting for playcalling when submitting a lineup etc. Let me stop you there: I don’t care. I hope every fantasy team in the world crashes and burns as part of my longstanding investment in #OperationMaximumDisappointment. In the wider context, it’s just a game based on a much more important game – the one you should REALLY care about. More offensive diversity, with names you have to google when they make big plays, enriches the sport. Seeing late-round or UDFA rookies make their mark in the NFL is much more satisfying for me, even if it is at the expense of Mecole Hardman and his paltry 7.5 points. I’m not bitter. Honest.
The Road Ahead
The only negative aspect of having such a key matchup this early in the season, is that the result really doesn’t define anything at this stage. The Chiefs move to 2-0, whilst the Chargers languish at 1-1; I mean, there really is little to take away right now regarding the long-term consequences of this close contest.
What we can say for sure is that both these teams look set for playoff berths. All those sleeping on The Chiefs are still probably snoozing on them at least – until Paddy Mahomes and Travis Kelce walk into town and rip the soul out of your own team’s defense. The scary thing is that, whilst they may have lost some firepower with Tyreek Hill’s departure, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense continues to get better. They may be an even more rounded team than before – and with the AFC loaded with strong passing games, it might just prove the difference come the postseason.
The Chargers still have the feeling of a nearly team, something that is often difficult for a franchise to shake. Brandon Staley is an innovative head coach who is working with a talented roster but also one that has aforementioned health issues. Regardless, 2022 is the season to shake off that malaise and move past the excuses. If Los Angeles is going to have its second Super Bowl champion in the space of two years, then the finer details need to be addressed. But with the personnel and coaching team in place, adding some polish is more than achievable.
After the final game of last year, The Chargers know only too well the fine margins between spending the postseason on the field or on the couch. When it comes to January, this franchise will not want to be looking back at week 2 and wondering just how costly that pick-six to the ‘King of Takeaways’ was.
