The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 22-6, on Sunday afternoon to remain perfect on the season.
Kansas City tallied a field goal on its opening series and never relinquished its advantage, building a double-digit lead that it carried into halftime behind yet another standout performance by tailback Ken Walker.
Walker, whose 537 rushing yards through Week 4 marked the most by any player since 2010, added to his season total on Sunday with 128 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
His first touchdown – a 33-yard run on Kansas City’s second possession – was his league-leading seventh run of 20 or more yards this season, and it had the Chiefs ahead by multiple scores in a blink of an eye.
“He’s a stud. I mean, he knows how to run the ball, and knows how to set up runs. There’s an art to that, and a patience that you’ve got to have and vision and all those things that the great ones have,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “So, he’s got all of that, and he’s tough. He’s a tough kid. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he’s a tough kid.”
Los Angeles answered Walker’s score with a 23-yard field goal on its ensuing possession, but the veteran tailback was then back in the end zone a little bit later when he punched through a pile of defenders for a 2-yard touchdown.
The score took place with just under two minutes remaining in the second quarter, but following a quick three-and-out by Los Angeles, the Chiefs made quick work of their next series and set up a 50-yard field goal for Harrison Butker prior to halftime.
The sequence – which netted 10 points in just one minute and 49 seconds – pushed the Chiefs’ advantage to what turned out to be the final margin courtesy of a relentless defensive effort that kept Los Angeles out of the end zone throughout the game.
Kansas City forced two takeaways, two turnovers on downs and four three-and-outs over the course of the game, holding Los Angeles to just 259 yards of offense despite being on the field for 63 plays.
“I appreciate them pushing through,” Reid said. “I thought, defensively, we really put the hammer down there, and it was fun to watch.”
Kansas City also racked up four sacks on the afternoon after going three weeks without getting the opposing quarterback to the ground. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte (1.0), defensive end George Karlaftis (1.0), safety Chamarri Conner (1.0), defensive tackle Peter Woods (0.5) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (0.5) each contributed to that effort.
“All year, we’ve been generating pressure, we just haven’t found a way to get the job done,” said linebacker Nick Bolton. “Our defensive linemen have been relentless all year, and I’m proud to see their work come to fruition today and get the quarterback on the ground. Those guys have been fighting all year, and I’m super proud of them. We have more to go.”
It all helped the Chiefs move to 5-0 on the season as the AFC’s only remaining undefeated team, and perhaps even more importantly, Kansas City moved to 3-0 against divisional opponents through just six weeks.
“All-in-all, it’s great to win in this league, and it’s hard. It’s a hard thing to do,” Reid said. “They’re not always going to be pretty, but you have to battle through that and then get yourself right for the following week. So, that’s where we’re at, and what we’re going to do.”
In terms of injuries, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion) left Sunday’s game early. It’s also worth mentioning that tight end Travis Kelce sustained an ankle injury early in the contest, but he managed to play through it and didn’t miss any time.
Next up, the Chiefs will hit the road for a prime-time showdown against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football.
This article originates at Chiefs.com.
