Chiefs’ snaps vs. Chargers: Thornhill back to full load; pair of D-linemen step up
The Chiefs endured a war of attrition as numerous players were banged up during Sunday’s 23-20 overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Cornerback Antonio Hamilton (groin), running back Darrel Williams (ankle), wide receiver Sammy Watkins (head), defensive end Frank Clark (illness), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (stinger) and linebacker Damien Wilson either didn’t finish the game or left the field momentarily.
Hitchens and Wilson, who left briefly after delivering a crushing hit on Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, returned to action after receiving attention on the sidelines.
The Chiefs entered the game already down starting cornerback Charvarius Ward (hand), defensive end Alex Okafor (hamstring) and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (elbow), who was placed on injured reserve over the weekend, so others needed to fill the void.
The overall snap counts reflect the next-man-up approach:
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (77), Chad Henne (none)
Mahomes played all offensive snaps and produced the throw of the game to energize yet another Chiefs’ comeback win. The Chiefs’ superstar shook off a slow start and finished the game completing 27 of 47 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, adding 54 yards rushing on six carries.
RUNNING BACKS: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (48), Darwin Thompson (15, 10 on special teams), Darrel Williams (10, 1 on ST), fullback Anthony Sherman (7, 20 on special teams)
After a stellar rookie debut in Week 1, Edwards-Helaire found tougher sledding against a stout Chargers defense. He finished the game with 70 total yards (38 rushing on 10 carries).
With Williams leaving the game early, Thompson stepped up and helped keep a drive alive in overtime by converting a short run on fourth-and-1. The second-year pro finished the game with 21 yards rushing on four attempts, and totaled a team-high two tackles on special teams.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Tyreek Hill (69), Mecole Hardman (50, 12 on ST), Demarcus Robinson (48, 8 on ST), Sammy Watkins (45), Byron Pringle (7, 18 on ST), Marcus Kemp (18 on ST)
Hill made up for a slow start by producing five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half. The score came on a 54-yard strike from Mahomes and the connection proved to be a game changer.
Hardman, who totaled 38 snaps in Week 1, saw an increased workload and totaled two catches for 30 yards on three targets. Robinson produced two three catches for 28 yards, while Watkins was injured on his lone catch of the game.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (74), Nick Keizer (11, 10 on ST), Deon Yelder (did not play)
The Chargers played the deep ball, and Kelce thrived against the underneath coverage with nine catches for 90 yards and a touchdown on a team-high 14 targets.
Kelce now has 6,605 career yards receiving, a total that moved him past wide receiver Henry Marshall for the fourth-highest in team history.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Mitchell Schwartz (77, 5 on ST), Eric Fisher (77, 5 on ST), Austin Reiter (77, 5 on ST), Kelechi Osemele (77, 5 on ST), Andrew Wylie (77, 5 on ST), Mike Remmers (1), Nick Allegretti (5 on ST), Daniel Kilgore (did not play)
The Chiefs’ front five endured a rough game on the protection front, allowing a sack and seven quarterback hits. The unit, though, hunkered down when it mattered the most by allowing Mahomes the time to make plays in the fourth quarter to help force overtime.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Tanoh Kpassagnon (78, 4 on ST), Chris Jones (75, 4 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (51, 4 on ST), Mike Danna (40, 5 on ST), Frank Clark (36), Tershawn Wharton (25, 4 on ST), Taco Charlton (22), Braxton Hoyett (2)
With Clark exiting the game with an illness, Charlton and Danna helped out in the pass rush and each player recorded a sack. Of the Chiefs’ seven quarterback hits, five were recorded by the defensive line (Jones with two, Charlton with two and Danna with one).
Charlton, who was a healthy inactive in Week 1, finished the game with a productive effort of two tackles and a tackle for a loss to go along with the sack and two quarterback hits.
Nnadi saw an increase of playing time from Week 1’s 16 snaps and made the most of it by producing nine total tackles.
Hoyett, who was elevated from the practice squad over the weekend, saw just two snaps as part of the interior defensive line rotation. Defensive end Demone Harris was inactive for a second straight game.
Defensive tackle Mike Pennel is eligible to return from a two-game suspension after Monday Night Football ends Week 2 action.
LINEBACKERS: Anthony Hitchens (65, 4 on ST), Damien Wilson (56, 8 on ST), Ben Niemann (46, 17 on ST), Willie Gay Jr. (6, 18 on ST), Dorian O’Daniel (4, 22 on ST)
The starting linebacker corps was busy as Wilson, Hitchens and Niemann combined to produce 30 of the defense’s 85 total tackles. Wilson produced a team-high 12 tackles, including one for a loss, while Hitchens and Niemann each made nine tackles.
With Hitchens and Wilson momentarily leaving the game, Gay saw his first snaps on defense and produced a tackle, while contributing a partially blocked punt on special teams.
O’Daniel pitched in on special teams with a tackle and an assist.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Tryann Mathieu (83), L’Jarius Sneed (82, 3 on ST), Juan Thornhill (82), Rashad Fenton (82), Daniel Sorensen (58, 7 on ST), Tedric Thompson (16, 5 on ST), Antonio Hamilton (2, 7 on ST), Armani Watts (22 on ST), BoPete Keyes (6 on ST)
Mathieu played every defensive snap for a second straight game and produced five tackles, a quarterback hit and a pass defensed, which came in the end zone when he batted a ball away from a Chargers receiver.
After playing just 38 snaps in Week 1, Thornhill returned to full duty with 82 snaps and produced four tackles.
Sneed produced six tackles and an interception, the second through two games.
The Chiefs, however, are now perilously thin at cornerback.
When Hamilton left in the first half with a groin injury, the Chiefs were down to just three dressed cornerbacks (Sneed, Fenton, Keyes). Bashaud Breeland still has two games to serve on his four-game suspension, while Charvarious Ward is recovering from a fractured hand.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (10), Tommy Townsend (10), James Winchester (10)
Butker had two career-long kicks of 58 yards, including the game-winning field goal. The 58-yard efforts tied Nick Lowery for the longest made kicks in franchise history.
INACTIVES: Cornerback Charvarius Ward (hand), defensive end Alex Okafor (hamstring), tight end Ricky Seals-Jones, defensive end Demone Harris, offensive lineman Yasir Durant
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Chiefs’ snaps vs. Chargers: Thornhill back to full load; pair of D-linemen step up."
