This week the Chiefs might get even more help with the return of two injured players.
Per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive end Charles Omenihu will return to practice this week. Pacheco, the team’s leading rusher over the past two seasons, has missed the last seven games with a broken fibula and Omenihu hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in last year’s AFC Championship Game.
Even without Omenihu, the Chiefs are allowing the fourth-fewest yards (289.9) and fifth-fewest points (17.9) points per game. Offensively, running back Kareem Hunt rushed for a team-high 449 yards and five touchdowns in relief of Pacheco.
Buffalo has a 29-25-1 record against Kansas City and last met in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, another game the Chiefs found a way to win, 27-24. Bills quarterback Josh Allen may have Buffalo off to an 8-2 start, but Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 4-3 against Buffalo in his career.
Until they prove otherwise, assume Kansas City will remain unbeaten.
Cincinnati Bengals at L.A. Chargers (-1.5)
Cincinnati may be the best 4-6 team the NFL has ever seen, but unlike the Chiefs, the Bengals keep finding ways to lose. In the AFC, only Baltimore (31.8) and Buffalo (29.0) score more points per game than Cincinnati (27.0).
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow leads the league with 2,672 passing yards. Meanwhile, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is coming off a 264-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Ravens and now has more yards (981) than any wide receiver. Only three teams gain more yards per game (254.8) than the Bengals.
The Bengals can’t afford to lose any more games. A win this week on Sunday Night Football could be just what Cincinnati needs to save their season.
Ranked 22nd in yards (314.3) and 23rd in points (20.7) per game, the Chargers offense has been nothing special under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Of course no team gives up fewer points per game (13.9) than L.A., but the team has struggled against teams with quality quarterbacks.
The Chargers had no problems with Justin Fields, Will Levis, Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler, Jameis Winston and Bryce Young but fell to quarterbacks like Mahomes, Kyle Murray and Justin Fields.
Expect Burrow and Chase to put the Chargers defense to the test and leave Los Angeles with a much needed victory.
