San Diego offense vs. Kansas City defense

	CHARGERS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	30
	Pass	30
	Tot. Yds.	28
	Scoring	19
	Int's allowed	14
	Sacks allowed	16
	CHIEFS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	6
	vs. Pass	14
	Total yds. allowed	10
	No. of INTs	11
	No. of Sacks	12
	Turnover differential	+4

The struggling Chargers offense received more bad news this week when banged up RB Natrone Means was forced to undergo knee surgery. Means was largely ineffective last week (12 carries, 28 yards) because he failed to run with his eyes and the team might actually be better off with the healthy trio of Kenny Bynum, Tremayne Stephens, and third-down specialist Terrell Fletcher.

In their Week 3 meeting, the Chiefs got an excellent effort from their front four as they held the Chargers to just 2.4 yards per carry. LDT Chester McGlockton continues to get consistent penetration and should be able to handle wide body DeMingo Graham, who was completely manhandled last week against Green Bay. The Chargers need to run the football effectively to set up the play-action passing game but look for them to use Fletcher on screens and quick dump-offs if that doesn't happen early on. San Diego had great success with Fletcher in a receiving role at the end of last season and the Chiefs cannot expect OLB Donnie Edwards to stay with him, regardless of how well he's played this season.

It's back to the drawing board for coach Mike Riley after last week's six-interception debacle. Riley must decide who's the right man to lead his team. Erik Kramer led the team to three straight wins but Harbaugh's mobility compensates for the team's protection problems. Whichever quarterback Riley chooses, the chosen will definitely enjoy something this unit has lacked all season -- a playmaking wide receiver. Charlie Jones, who has missed the entire season with a hip injury, returns on Sunday and should at least bring the threat of an occasional deep pass. San Diego's passing game has become so predictable that the Packers felt all they needed to do was stop TE Freddie Jones.

Kansas City's defense fed off turnovers last week, returning two interceptions for scores. The Chiefs' secondary, especially its top three DCs, is playing outstanding football. James Hasty's influence is noticeably wearing off on nickel back Eric Warfield, who is passing the test every week when opponents target him. Despite three pass interference calls last week, LDC Chris Dishman is playing the type of in-your-face defense that coach Gunther Cunningham wants out of his club. The Chiefs are confident these three players will be able to handle any receiver combination that the Chargers put on the field so look for Cunningham to increase his blitz calls. Kansas City put good heat on Baltimore's QB Stoney Case last week and forced some poor throws but they were held without a sack nonetheless. The guy to watch is MLB Marvcus Patton, whose team-high three sacks have come on delayed blitzes behind McGlockton's upfield push.

Kansas City's low-risk passing game is predicated on smart play from QB Elvis Grbac. Though they went three-and-out on eight of their 12 possessions last week against the Ravens, Grbac made good decisions with the football and he used TE Tony Gonzalez effectively in the red-zone and on third down. The Chiefs cannot afford to fall into the same pass-happy trap they did in their Week 3 contest, in which Grbac completed just 19-of-40 attempts and threw four interceptions. Though the Chiefs' protection has improved markedly since the first meeting, Grbac will make costly mistakes against this defense if he is made the focal point. The Chargers were burned on the blitz often last week because Favre was able to locate the vacated areas with ease. San Diego must get better pressure from their front four so that their back-seven isn't forced to hold its coverage too long.