3 reasons Chargers should be favored over Chiefs in AFC West

The Chargers have gotten better while the Chiefs have gotten worse

On paper, of course.

But that’s certainly how it seems. The Chargers added a veteran linebacker in Thomas Davis before drafting two impactful defensive players in Jerry Tillery and Nasir Adderley.

On the other hand, the Chiefs lost Ford, Justin Houston, Mitch Morse and Chris Conley. The only major signing the team made was that of Tyrann Mathieu, though Carlos Hyde could play a key role.

Throw in the fact that Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill were two of the key reasons the Chiefs’ offense was so explosive and suddenly, the team looks far less intimidating.

Hunt is now with the Browns and Hill, though still with the Chiefs, figures to be facing major disciplinary action at some point. He is the team’s major deep threat and though the Chiefs found ways to mask Hunt’s absence last season, it will be impossible to hide the fact that both are gone.

Mahomes is a phenomenal player, but that is asking him to work quite a bit of magic. Meanwhile, the Chargers didn’t lose any significant players from last season’s team (no, Jason Verrett can’t be considered significant) and they worked on plugging the holes they knew they had.

The playing field is far closer to even than it was last year and if the scales have been tipped, they’ve been tipped toward the Chargers.