**3\. Los Angeles' offense thrived on running the football and using play action last year.**
The Chargers' offense is engineered by veteran play-caller Greg Roman, who is known for being the architect of the San Francisco 49ers' offense under Colin Kaepernick and the Baltimore Ravens' offense under Lamar Jackson. Those offenses were designed around a strong running attack and a play-action passing game, and Roman's scheme in Los Angeles – at least last year – was quite similar.
In fact, Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert posted the highest completion percentage, the second-most completions and the second-most passing yards of any quarterback using play action in the NFL last season. It was part of a great year for Herbert, who threw 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions, which marked the fewest of any qualified passer.
That play action success was set up by a tremendous running game, and while leading-rusher J.K. Dobbins is no longer in town, the Chargers replaced him by drafting tailback Omarion Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and by signing veteran Najee Harris in free agency.
It has the makings of a formable duo that plays right into Roman's scheme, but fortunately for Kansas City, the Chiefs excelled at limiting opposing running backs last year. The Chargers failed to top 100 rushing yards in each of their two games against Kansas City in 2024, and as a result, Los Angeles was held under 20 points in each contest.
The Chiefs will aim to do the same on Friday, and with that in mind, one major factor to monitor throughout the game will be the stability of Los Angeles' offensive line. The Chargers lost standout left tackle Rashawn Slater to a season-ending knee injury during training camp, igniting a domino effect that moved right tackle Joe Alt to the left side and reserve Trey Pipkins into Alt's vacated role on the right.
Los Angeles' ability to operate offensively amidst its shuffled offensive line will be something to watch, especially when it comes to the passing game. Herbert was just about flawless when provided with a clean pocket last year, but when pressured, the Chargers' offense wasn't nearly as effective.
**_Herbert with a Clean Pocket in 2024_**: 71.1% completion percentage, 18 TDs, 0 INTs, 113.0 passer rating
**_Herbert Under Pressure in 2024_**: 52.5% completion percentage, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 72.5 passer rating
It's all to say that the Chiefs' ability to stop the run, which they did tremendously well last year, and create pressure on Herbert in the passing game – especially considering the changes up front – will be paramount on Friday.
**4\. The Chargers fielded the league's No. 1 scoring defense in 2024.**
Los Angeles' identity under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is simple: the Chargers want to run the football, limit turnovers and – perhaps most importantly – play excellent defense. They did all three of those things last year, and on the defensive side of things, no unit in the NFL yielded fewer points on a per-game basis than Los Angeles.
The Chargers also led the league in opponent red zone touchdown percentage (45%) while ranking fifth on third down (35.7%). They also held the opposition to 20 or fewer points on 13 occasions, marking the most such games of any team in the NFL.
It's worth pointing out that the Chargers lost some key contributors from last year, including pass-rusher Joey Bosa and cornerback Kristian Fulton (who's now a member of the Chiefs), but they return a formidable duo at edge rusher in Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.