The Kansas City Chiefs were able to maintain and extend their lead in the AFC West by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 30-13.
QB Alex Smith had a good game, finishing the game with 23 completions on 30 attempts while also committing no turnovers. RB Kareem Hunt and WR Tyreek Hill both caught touchdown passes from Smith. Hunt also had 155 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
QB Philip Rivers had three interceptions, two of which coming late as the Chargers tried to close the scoring gap. He finished the game 20-of-36 for 227 yards and a touchdown along with those interceptions. RB Melvin Gordon had 78 yards and rushing touchdown, adding 91 yards receiving as well.
CB Marcus Peters had two of Rivers' interceptions and also forced a fumble, providing key plays in Kansas City's victory. With that, we give you our PFF-exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.
Top 5 Grades:
CB Marcus Peters, 93.0 overall grade
Edge Justin Houston, 92.4 overall grade
RB Kareem Hunt, 90.5 overall grade
T Mitchell Schwartz, 81.9 overall grade
QB Alex Smith, 81.8 overall grade
Performances of note:
RB Kareem Hunt, 90.5 overall grade
The rookie running back reverted back to his early season form on his way to over 200 yards of total offense. He gained 155 yards rushing, 97 of those came after contact, with seven forced missed tackles as well. He also led the Chiefs in targets in the passing game with nine, catching seven for 51 yards.
QB Alex Smith, 81.8 overall grade
Alex Smith's line protected him well considering they were going up against a stud pass-rushing duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. He was only pressured on eight of his 33 dropbacks and was efficient when given time, going 20-of-23 for 198 yards and two touchdowns with a clean pocket.
CB Marcus Peters, 93.0 overall grade
With the help of a couple drops, Marcus Peters did not allow a catch on six targets on the night. But his biggest impact was easily the turnovers he created, as he had two interceptions and a forced fumble, even if at least one of the interceptions came easy on a miscommunication. Peters also broke up a pass, which surprisingly was only his second of the season.
Edge Justin Houston, 92.4 overall grade
Houston had five total pressures on 28 snaps rushing the passer, along with a couple other times he clearly had beaten the offensive tackle but was unable to generate actual pressure due to QB Philip Rivers getting the ball out quick enough. He also directly forced one of Rivers' three interceptions by hitting him as he threw, causing the ball to fall short of the corner route Rivers was targeting.
Top 5 Grades:
RB Melvin Gordon, 86.1 overall grade
Edge Melvin Ingram, 85.0 overall grade
S Tre Boston, 82.0 overall grade
T Russell Okung, 79.8 overall grade
CB Desmond King, 79.5 overall grade
Performances of note:
RB Melvin Gordon, 86.1 overall grade
It was tough sledding on the ground for Gordon at times, as he gained 59 of his 78 rushing yards after first contact, forcing six missed tackles along the way. He made more of an impact as a receiver though, leading the team with six catches for 91 yards, while forcing another four missed tackles on those catches, for a total of 10 missed tackles forced on 25 touches.
T Russell Okung, 79.8 overall grade
Okung was the only Chargers offensive linemen out of the seven who played that did not finish with a below-average grade. Okung, who left after 40 snaps due to a reported groin injury, was perfect in pass protection up until that point. His replacement, Sam Tevi, got called for two penalties, including a holding call that nullified the pressure the had allowed.
Edge Melvin Ingram, 85.0 overall grade
Ingram was the only real effective pass-rusher for the Chargers and led the way with six total pressures and a batted pass. Most of his pressures came from the right side against Chiefs LT Eric Fisher, as he recorded a PRP (pass-rush productivity) of 26.7 on 15 snaps from that side. Ingram has 10 sacks on the year to go with his 10 hits and 50 quarterback hurries.
S Tre Boston, 82.0 overall grade
Boston was an effective in the box safety when used in that regard, recording a run-defense grade of 82.9 and one defensive stop. The Chargers were plagued by missed tackles all night and missed 13 of them throughout the game. They struggled to contain Kareem Hunt and were unable to get off the field in critical third down situations.
PFF Game Ball: Marcus Peters, CB
*Grades subject to change
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