The Kansas City Chiefs have held the upper hand in their career rivalry against the San Diego Chargers. In 101 games played throughout the history of both franchises, the Chiefs have won 51, lost 49 and tied just once. But if the Chargers win both games this season, the series will be evened up.
Of course, that’s what most expect to happen given the talent differential displayed thus far in 2011, but that’s exactly what the Chiefs will attempt to avoid this Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs need to win their first game of the season to keep any hopes of making the playoffs; if they fall to 0-3, their playoff chances will virtually disappear (the last team to do so was the 1998 Bills).
Clearly the series has tipped in favor of the Chargers in recent seasons — ever since the Chiefs began to spiral downward while the Chargers were on the rise under Drew Brees and Phil Rivers. Last season gave hope that the Chiefs were also rising to meet the challenge, but this year has burst the bubble. Sunday’s will make a statement one way or the other.