This showdown will be the second-ever NFL game played in Brazil and is the only game of the entire season that falls on a Friday. Kansas City (-3.5) enters the game as the favourite with the over/under set at 46.5.
And before we get into the preview for tonight's game, be sure to also check out these articles as the season is finally underway:
10 bold predictions that will undoubtedly happen
10 players who need to prove everyone wrong
15 rookies to watch out for this season
Predicting every NFL division winner
Teams ready to turn things around
Teams destined to fall off in 2025
Now, let's get into the full breakdown of this AFC West showdown!
Kansas City Chiefs
Since Patrick Mahomes took over as the full-time starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have only lost one season opener - in 2023 against the Detroit Lions. To add to it, the Chiefs have also won seven straight against the Chargers, which is tied for their second-longest streak against a specific opponent (Washington Commanders are first with eight).
After coming off a Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and without their starting wide receiver Rashee Rice following his six-game suspension, the Chiefs' offence is looking a little different this time around.
The strong side of their offensive line is seeing a pair of new faces. Rookie standout Josh Simmons won the starting left tackle position over 2024 starter Wayne Morris, while backup tackle Kingsley Suamataia is replacing the veteran Joe Thuney at left guard.
Wide receiver Nikko Remigio found his way into the starting lineup alongside Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy - although it could be chalked up to Rice's suspension. However, the Chiefs' offence had a surprisingly average season in 2024, ranking 17th in total offence and 15th in scoring.
While it's never smart to count out a Chiefs team that went 11-0 last season in games decided by eight points or less, they aren't the offence they once were, nor are they in Kansas City for the game to give them a home-field competitive edge.
How about the other side of the ball for the Chiefs that somehow gets overlooked? Their defence retained nine of their 11 starters, with the only replacements being defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi for Tershawn Wharton and safety Bryan Cook for Justin Reid.
Even though they didn't necessarily force a lot of turnovers last season (20th in forced fumbles, 13th in interceptions), or get to the quarterback often (19th in sacks), their defence still ranked ninth overall last season and fourth in scoring, allowing an average of just 19.2 points per game
The keys to the Chiefs beating the Chargers on Friday night start with Mahomes. If the future Hall of Famer can come out of the gate on the team's first offensive drive, tearing down the Chargers' secondary, it'll force the Chargers to fight an uphill battle the entire game.
Secondly, they need to put pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The six-year veteran is a major threat in the passing game and he won't make many mistakes - throwing just three interceptions last year and posting the sixth-best passer rating (101.7) among starters.
Lastly, don't play with your food. Don't feed Isiah Pacheco just because Mahomes threw 10 straight passes. Stick to what works and dominate. With a high-motor Chargers team, easing up on the gas pedal would be the most asinine thing to do.
Los Angeles Chargers
On the other side, since 2018, the Chargers have only lost two season openers - one of them being the Chiefs in 2018. However, that was prior to the Herbert-era that started in 2020. Despite the Chiefs winning seven straight against the Chargers, it's a new season and they aren't a bunch of pushovers.
But unlike the Chiefs and other top-tier teams in the league, the Chargers are seeing a lot of new faces and even a familiar one among their starters heading into the season.
After leading the entire NFL in scoring defence last year, allowing just 17.7 points per game, holding the Chiefs to under 20 points in both of their matchups last season as well, their defence has some new starters this time around.
Veteran defensive tackle Teair Tart is replacing Poona Ford, while Da'Shawn Hand replaces Joey Bosa at defensive end. Donte Jackson and Cam Hart replace Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden (who was moved to backup safety), leaving the linebacker core and safeties the same.
So it'll be interesting to see how the new secondary does after ranking seventh-best last season. Now, switching over the offence.
The team announced that rookie running back Omarion Hampton will enter the game as the starter ahead of veteran Najee Harris in their completely revamped running back room. However, it's expected that both will see close to an equal amount of playing time on the field during the game, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, who reported Harris is "ready to go" despite dealing with a nagging eye injury.
But their offensive line took a major blow before the season started, losing left tackle Rashawn Slater for the year, who was ranked the second-best tackle in 2024, leaving standout rookie right tackle Joe Alt to slide over to the LT spot in his second year, while 2024 starting right guard Trey Pipkins will move over to right tackle.
Los Angeles needed major help on the interior line, so they signed reigning Super Bowl champion Mekhi Becton as the team's new right guard, leaving 2024 starters Zion Johnson (LG) and Bradley Bozeman (C) in their respective positions. (Update: Becton is currently listed as "questionable" for tonight's game with an 'illness'.)
As for the receiving core, which recently saw Mike Williams retire back in July, welcomed a familiar face - Keenan Allen, who spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Chargers. He'll be lining up opposite of second-round rookie Tre Harris while Ladd McConkey returns to the slot.
The keys for the Chargers to beat the Chiefs on Sunday night start with taking care of the ball and doing their utmost best to commit as few penalties as possible. Sure, that can be said with every game, but these are specific for anyone facing the Chiefs. Minimizing chances for Mahomes and his offence gives the Chargers the best chance to win.
Secondly, get Hampton into the flow of things early and quick. Kansas City ranked 19th in run defence last season, so it's not like they have the Steel Curtain on the other side. Establish the run. If it works, keep feeding Hampton and Harris the ball and control the tempo.
Third, always, pressure Mahomes as much as humanly possible. Do not send three or four guys and drop back into zone coverage. Always make sure there's safety help over the top because Kansas City will undoubtedly look to their speedsters in Worthy and Brown to get down the field. And, whatever they do, never let tight end Travis Kelce run in open space - have someone on him at all time. He excels at finding open spots in zone.
Chiefs vs. Chargers preview wrap-up
Despite what some may think, the Chiefs aren't equipped to just blow out teams like they used to, much less this Chargers team. And with a lot of new starters, the Bolts definitely have their own question marks. That being said, this is going to be a great game. Whether it ends with both teams scoring below 20 points or both of them scoring over 30.
The matchup between the Chiefs and Chargers on Friday, September 5th, will be streamed on YouTube for free, or on YouTube TV and NFL+ if fans have a subscription.
The link to the game is below: