This article is part of our NFL Observations series.
I had made the Chargers +3.5 my best bet, so that game was frustrating, to say the least. I won't say I was on the right side -- when you take the Chargers, you're never really on the right side, and it's always your fault.
• Patrick Mahomes looked like 2018 Mitchell Trubisky -- nifty on the scrambles, but shaky as a passer. Andy Reid's play design hasn't been fooling anyone lately, either. Maybe the Chargers' familiarity with the Chiefs was a factor, and obviously losing Tyreek Hill early didn't help, but the early-season crispness of the offense is gone. I also think they miss Kareem Hunt a good deal as their current backs aren't great pass catchers.
• Damian Williams left early with a rib injury, so two of the top four Chiefs fantasy starters (Williams and Hill) essentially got you zeroes. You can gamble with LeSean McCoy or Darrel Williams on waivers, but it's been a crap shoot all year.
• The Chiefs ignored Travis Kelce in the first half for God knows what reason, before letting him dominate in the second. He was the lone bright spot for the offense.
• Philip Rivers still has his arm strength, and he made a few nice throws, but no one in NFL history has thrown more soul-crushing picks, and he's taken it to a new level this year. It's positively Winston-esque.
• Austin Ekeler must be the greatest route-running back of all time. No one gets easier yards out of the backfield. Melvin Gordon ran hard, but had a terrible drop. He also got stuffed inside the red zone.
• The Chargers usage tree is pretty narrow -- just Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Gordon and Ekeler. Mike Williams made a great catch, but has only 11 targets over the last three games.
• Watching the edited version of the game, I see penalty calls, but not replays of the penalties themselves. Judging by a scroll through my Twitter feed, that's probably a good thing -- the game was annoying enough even assuming the penalties were legit.
