Five Kansas City Chiefs Questions with Arrowhead Pride

What has changed for the Kansas City Chiefs since they last faced the Chargers?

Injuries changed for the Chiefs.

The big one is Justin Houston who is dealing with a hyperextended knee. I wouldn't bet on him playing against the Chargers at this point. The Chiefs will likely be using 2014 first round pick Dee Ford in his place. Ford has a quick first step but hasn't developed any of those pass rusher moves that you see from savvy veterans like Tamba Hali. Also, you can run right at Dee Ford, so maybe the Chargers running game will work!

Outside of that, the Chiefs confidence is sky high right now. The Chargers were their fourth straight win a couple weeks ago but now KC is up to six straight. Any team can be caught flat-footed but the Chiefs are feeling pretty good about themselves right now.

What did you learn about the Chiefs in their win against the Chargers that you didn't know before the game?

We learned a couple of things from that game. The first being that Spencer Ware is a legit running back. He was the one that came in after Charcandrick West came out and had 96 yards on 11 carries in the second half. He did the same thing the next week and all of a sudden the Chiefs have two running backs they really like. So that Chargers game really opened our eyes about Ware.

The other thing is that the defense is good enough to stymie a player like Philip Rivers. Sure, the Chargers had no receivers and the running game was non-existent but holding a quarterback like Rivers to three points is an impressive feat (as the Broncos showed two weeks later). I was really impressed with the Chiefs defense on the road in a game they really needed to win. The Chiefs of course need to keep winning but they're not in the same desperate spot as they were last time around so I'm curious to see how they respond.

How close are we to talking about Andy Reid without mentioning his time as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles?

Locally? We're pretty much already there. Nationally? Until the Chiefs make some noise in the playoffs on their own. So hopefully in January!

What's the biggest weakness of the KC Chiefs and can the Chargers find a way to exploit it?

I think you have to make Alex Smith beat you deep. He's done it a few times here recently but make him prove it repeatedly that he can do that. I'm not totally convinced that he can, although I'm hopeful based on his play in recent weeks.

Obligatory score prediction.

I'm taking the Chiefs to win and I'm still nervous enough that I think the Chargers will cover. Give me 26-20, Chiefs.