The Kansas City Chiefs made the strategic decision to rest its usual starters in Week 18 against a Los Angeles Chargers team with little to play for. The Chiefs came out on top to close out the Chargers season.
Offensive spotlight: With Blaine Gabbert at the helm for this one, Mecole Hardman led the team in receiving yards (77), targets (11) and receptions (six). Gabbert threw for just 154 yards on 15-for-30 passing with no touchdowns and an interception. La’Mical Perine worked as the team’s lead back as Isiah Pacheco got the day off, carrying the ball 21 times for 76 rushing yards.
Easton Stick started his fourth straight game and unfortunately went win-less in his opportunities this year. Stick threw for 240 yards on 28-for-47 passing and was held without a touchdown. He also ran the ball more than any player on the team with 13 rushes for a team-leading 77 rushing yards. Josh Palmer was Stick’s top target, seeing 10 passes thrown his way, catching six of them for 44 yards.
Defensive spotlight: Khalil Mack came up with his 17th sack of the year in this game, continuing his career year in his 10th NFL season. Mack did not reach double-digit sacks in a season for four-straight years coming into 2023 while his PFF pass-rush grade had also been declining year over year before getting back up to above 80.0 this season.
Kansas City’s defense provided the only touchdown for either team in this game when Charles Omenihu and Mike Edwards combined for what would be a 97-yard fumble return for a score. Omenihu delivered the sack — his seventh of the year in the midst of a now six-game sack streak — forcing the fumble, which Edwards recovered and took almost the entire length of the field for the touchdown.
THE CHIEFS DEFENSE SCORES ON A 97-YARD RETURN 😳 pic.twitter.com/aQUy83ENNL
— PFF (@PFF) January 7, 2024
Rookie spotlight: First-round rookie wide receiver for the Chargers, Quentin Johnston, finished off his quiet rookie season with another quiet performance in this game. Johnston saw five passes thrown his way, catching two for just 17 receiving yards. Johnston finishes the year with just 431 receiving yards which ranks 15th among all rookies.
Box Score
Passing
| Kansas City Chiefs | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Comp/Att | Yds | YPA | TD | Int |
| Blaine Gabbert | 9.76 | 15 / 30 | 154 | 5.1 | 0 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Comp/Att | Yds | YPA | TD | Int |
| Easton Stick | 17.02 | 28 / 47 | 258 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 |
Rushing
| Kansas City Chiefs | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Car | Yds | YPC | TD | Long |
| La'Mical Perine | 14 | 21 | 77 | 3.7 | 0 | 10 |
| Blaine Gabbert | 9.76 | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 0 | 25 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 6 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Car | Yds | YPC | TD | Long |
| Easton Stick | 17.02 | 13 | 77 | 5.9 | 0 | 15 |
| Austin Ekeler | 11.9 | 10 | 11 | 1.1 | 0 | 6 |
| Joshua Palmer | 11 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Derius Davis | 4.5 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 0 | 18 |
| Quentin Johnston | 4.3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Joshua Kelley | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 5 |
Receiving
| Kansas City Chiefs | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Tgt | Rec | Yds | YPR | TD |
| La'Mical Perine | 14 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 11 | 0 |
| Mecole Hardman Jr. | 13.7 | 11 | 6 | 77 | 12.8 | 0 |
| Justyn Ross | 3.7 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 |
| Richie James | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Blake Bell | 1.3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Justin Watson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Gray | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | ||||||
| Player | Fantasy | Tgt | Rec | Yds | YPR | TD |
| Donald Parham Jr. | 13.3 | 6 | 5 | 83 | 16.6 | 0 |
| Austin Ekeler | 11.9 | 8 | 7 | 38 | 5.4 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | 11 | 10 | 6 | 44 | 7.3 | 0 |
| Alex Erickson | 4.9 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 |
| Derius Davis | 4.5 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | 4.3 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 |
| Stone Smartt | 3.4 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 0 |
| Keelan Doss | 1.8 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Gerald Everett | 1.4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Nick Vannett | 1.3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
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