Chargers News: How To Watch Chargers-Chiefs Sunday Matinee

Where to watch the pivotal divisional match between the Chargers and Chiefs.

Your Los Angeles Chargers will play an important divisional matchup this Sunday against their bitter rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. 

At 2-3 in the AFC West, the Bolts will need to rebound in a big way, and what better way than to beat the Chiefs? 

The important matchup will be available on CBS, and Paramount+. The start time is 1:25 p.m. PST and 4:25 p.m. EST.

A loss will place the Chargers at 2-4, and could easily signal a trip to the postseason will be far out of reach. The Las Vegas Raiders are also 3-3 and could be a dark horse playoff candidate with their continued success, making it harder for the Bolts to catch up. 

Taking down the reigning Super Bowl champs will be no easy task though, as the offense for the Chiefs has been clicking on all cylinders. On top of having one of the best tight ends in the game in Travis Kelce, they recently brought back speedy receiver Mecole Hardman. 

Hardman comes over from the New York Jets and adds an additional much-needed deep threat for Patrick Mahomes. 

To make matters worse, the Chargers will presumably be without star safety Derwin James, who is dealing with an ankle injury and a questionable status for Sunday's game. James is often used to cover Kelce and has been increasingly successful in doing so. 

How important is Derwin James to defending Travis Kelce? #Chargers have played Chiefs four times since 2021.

Kelce with James on the field: 2.02 yards per route run

Kelce with James off the field: 6.68 yards per route run

(via @TruMediaSports) https://t.co/YoYbaE2vdN

— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) October 20, 2023

Daniel Popper of The Athletic shared analytics via TruMedia Sports, which showcases a telling case for having Derwin James on the field. With James, Kelce only logs an average of 2.02 yards per route. Without James, that number skyrockets to 6.68 yards per route. 

The team could use James to silence Kelce along with Hardman, who is poised to cause issues early on, as he has plenty of experience working with Mahomes. 

The smarter route, unfortunately, is to sit James. He will need to heal properly should the Bolts rebound with a win and chase their hopes of another postseason berth. 

With JT Woods out, and James' status leaning towards being sat, it will be up to Dean Marlowe and Jaylinn Hawkins to hold down the secondary with enough to stop the pass-happy attack of the Chiefs. 

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Chargers!