At his Thursday media availability, LA Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter started by broadly recapping the team's defensive performance against the Chiefs:
"I thought we did some good things," Minter said. "You know, there's always opportunities, moments of the game you wish would've gone different. I thought our guys played really hard, battled. Really resilient. And you know, didn't find a way to get the job done, but proud of our guys and how they played. And look forward to just trying to keep improving on the things we need to improve on and get ready for the next one."
Minter was then asked by ESPN's Kris Rhim if there's another quarterback in the league that defenses have to prepare for quite like Patrick Mahomes. His response also led to some thoughts about a Chargers-Chiefs rematch down the line:
"i just think there's like a different sense that he has than some guys where you know, you can feel like you got him bottled in or dialed up, or whatever," Minter explained. "And you got the routes covered in an initial part of the play. You got to do a great job playing through the end of the down, and coaching that better. Coaching aspects of that better, particularly in zone coverage. Finishing those type of plays."
"He is who he is for a reason," Minter said of Mahomes. "Currently, certainly the top guy out there, and the most successful. The Super Bowls, the game winning plays. He and the rest of the quarterbacks in the league, that's who we're chasing. We try to look at them, study them. And every time you play them, I think you learn a little bit more about some things you need to against them. So credit to him for making those plays at he end of the game. But hopefully, it's a challenge we get again down the road."
Jesse Minter and the Chargers want a rematch vs. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs
Assuming the Chargers make the postseason and the Chiefs get the AFC's lone playoff BYE, LA would need to win on Wild Card Weekend to set up a rematch at Arrowhead Stadium. A margin of just nine points separates the two teams in their matchups this season.
However, close but no cigar is the story of the rivalry between the two franchises in the Mahomes era. If the Chargers want a chance to rewrite their recent history vs. Kansas City, they'll need to make the playoffs first.
The Chargers will look to get a win over the surging Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.