SPORTS
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Thursday, December 13, 2018 3B
NFL | Chargers at Chiefs, 8:20p.m., FOX
Chiefs seek 10th straight win
vs. Chargers, AFC West title
KELVIN KUO I Associated Press
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas
celebrates after scoring with wide receiver Chris Conley
during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles
Chargers on Sept. 9 in Carson, Calif.
BY DAVE SKRETTA
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
The Kansas City Chiefs
are missing their star run
ning back, likely without
his backup and could have
their top two wide receiv
ers hobbled or shelved for
their crucial AFC West
showdown against the Los
Angeles Chargers today.
They still have Patrick
Mahomes, though.
And they’re still playing
the Chargers.
Yes, the Chargers (10-3)
are one of the hottest teams
in the NFL, having won
three straight and nine of
10 to close within a game
of Kansas City (11-2) in the
division race.
But the Chargers also
have had about as much
luck against the Chiefs as
the Redskins have had with
quarterbacks this year, los
ing nine straight and many
of them in lopsided fashion.
That includes this sea
son’s opener in Los Angeles,
when Mahomes announced
his arrival to the NFL with
his first four touchdown
passes in the Chiefs’ 38-28
victory at StubHub Center.
“We’re familiar with this
group, but they do so many
things. It’s never easy going
up against Kansas City,”
Chargers coach Anthony
Lynn said.
“Go back to September.
You can go back to last
year, to 2017, when we lost
to those guys twice — same
things. They are just really
good.”
The Chiefs have contin
ued to play at a high level
despite some personnel
challenges.
Running back Kareem
Hunt was released nearly
two weeks ago because of
off-the-field issues, and new
starter Spencer Ware hurt
his hamstring last Sunday
against Baltimore.
Wide receiver Sammy
Watkins is likely to miss
Thursday night’s game with
a lingering foot problem,
and speedster Tyreek Hill
is nursing wrist and heel
injuries, but has insisted all
week that he’ll be ready.
“One thing we have been
talking about all season
long, you never know when
your number is going to be
called, so it is important
that you are ready,” Chiefs
offensive coordinator Eric
Bieniemy said. “It’s all
hands on deck. When it’s
all said and done, we go out
and play.”
Besides, it’s not as if the
Chargers haven’t had injury
issues of their own.
Running back Melvin
Gordon is expected to be a
game-time decision after
spraining his right knee
against Arizona and miss
ing the past two games.
His primary backup, Aus
tin Ekeler, is likely out
after hurting his neck and
sustaining a concussion in
last week’s win over the
Bengals.
“I’ve been grinding hard
to get back,” Gordon said.
“I know Coach (Lynn) is
trying to be careful and
doesn’t want me to further
hurt myself or things like
that. So we’ll see where that
goes.”
If he’s unable to play,
rookie Justin Jackson
would get his first NFL
start.
“What is it, Week 15 in
the NFL? These things hap
pen,” Chargers offensive
coordinator Ken Whisen-
hunt said. “We’ll see who
shows up Thursday and go
from there.”
As the Chiefs and Char
gers prepare to meet, here
are things to know:
DIVISION RACE
The Chiefs can clinch
their third straight AFC
West title and a first-round
bye in the playoffs with a
win. But even with a loss,
the Chiefs would hold the
tiebreaker over the Char
gers by virtue of their better
division record. Los Ange
les needs a win to clinch its
first postseason trip since
the 2013 season.
“Both teams are going to
be all hyped up and ready to
go,” said Chiefs coach Andy
Reid, who is 11-3 against the
Chargers in his career.
BERRY’S BACK,
MAYBE
There have been signs
this week that Chiefs safety
Eric Berry will make his
season debut against the
Chargers. Berry sustained a
season-ending injury in last
year’s opener, then hurt his
heel early in training camp.
“It is killing him not to be
out there,” Reid said, “but
at the same time, you want
to be smart with it. I know
he would like to play in the
game.”
RIVERS RUNS
THROUGH IT
Mahomes has been get
ting all the attention, but
Chargers counterpart
Philip Rivers has been
nearly as good this season.
He already has 29 touch
down passes, five shy of his
career best, and his inter
ception rate is the lowest of
his career.
But Rivers also has strug
gled against the Chiefs,
throwing 14 interceptions
during the Chargers’ nine-
game losing streak. “He’s
a guy who can make all the
throws,” Chiefs cornerback
Kendall Fuller said.
BENJAMIN’S DEBUT
The Chiefs hope wide
receiver Kelvin Benjamin,
who was cut by the Bills and
signed with Kansas City last
week, will be active for the
game.
NFL
Ravens going
with rookie
QB Jackson
over Flacco
As he worked diligently
for more than a month to
return from a potentially
dangerous hip injury, Joe
Flacco watched the Balti
more Ravens flourish with
out him.
Now that he’s healthy,
Flacco must adjust to a role
he’s never experienced dur
ing his 11-year NFL career:
backup quarterback.
Ravens coach John
Harbaugh on Wednesday
selected rookie Lamar Jack-
son as his starter, opting to
play the hot hand rather than
a former Super Bowl MVP
who’s been starting since his
inaugural season in 2008.
After Flacco hurt his right
hip in a loss to Pittsburgh on
Nov 4, the fleet-footed Jack-
son took over as the starter
following a bye week. Under
his guidance, the Ravens
ramped up their running
game and went 3-1, the only
loss in overtime last Sunday
on the road against the pow
erful Kansas City Chiefs.
With Baltimore desperate
to end a three-year playoff
drought, Harbaugh decided
the Ravens would be best
served with Jackson running
the offense.
“Every decision is based
on making us the strongest
possible team we can be,”
Harbaugh said. “Whether
it’s quarterback or defensive
line, that’s the bottom line.
That’s what it boils down to.
That’s how we feel about this
decision, and we’re rolling.”
Jackson will start Sunday
when the Ravens (7-6) host
Tampa Bay (5-8).
The 33-year-old Flacco
has 163 career starts com
pared to Jackson’s four and
has guided the Ravens into
the playoffs on six occasions.
He was Super Bowl MVP in
2012, when he led Baltimore
past San Francisco to cap a
postseason in which he threw
11 touchdown passes and no
interceptions.
But in a league that doesn’t
give a hoot about the past,
Flacco realized his future in
Baltimore would be in jeop
ardy as soon as the Ravens
selected Jackson out of Lou
isville with the 32nd overall
pick in April.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Michigan dismisses
RB Samuels amid
domestic violence
charge this month
Michigan dismissed run
ning back O’Maury Samuels
from its football program
on the same day he was
arraigned on two charges,
including one for domestic
violence.
The school did not say
why the move was made
Wednesday, when Samuels
was charged with domes
tic violence and malicious
destruction of personal prop
erty. The date of the alleged
offenses was Dec. 8 and Sam
uels is scheduled for a hear
ing on Dec. 27 in Ann Arbor
District Court.
The sophomore finished
the season with 13 rushing
attempts for 66 yards.
AP source: Temple
finalizing deal to
make Miami’s Diaz
next head coach
Temple is finalizing a con
tract to make Miami defen
sive coordinator Manny Diaz
its next head coach, a per
son familiar with the nego
tiations told The Associated
Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the
AP on condition of anonym
ity because details of the deal
were still being worked out.
Diaz would replace Geoff
Collins, who left Temple
after two seasons to become
coach at Georgia Tech last
week. Like Collins, Diaz has
been a successful defensive
coordinator with Power Five
schools.
Their careers already
have crossed. Collins helped
replace Diaz as co-defensive
coordinator at Mississippi
State in 2011 after Diaz left
for Texas. In 2015, when Col
lins left Mississippi State for
Florida, Diaz returned to the
Bulldogs.
Diaz, a Miami native, has
directed top-15 defenses in
yards per play allowed with
the Hurricanes each season
since joining them in 2016.
Associated Press
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