San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)

1:25 p.m., Sofi Stadium, Inglewood Chiefs by 81 Ch. 8; 600-AM

- Miller writes for the L.A. Times.

Today:

Line: On the air:

⁄2 “They got too many weapons back there,” Hayward said. “But we got weapons over here, too. I know they’re always big-play hunting. … That’s what this K.C. offense is. It’s shot, shot, shot. We gotta try to take that away.”

In recent seasons, the Chargers’ defense — a scheme based more on preventing than attacking — has done better than most against the Chiefs.

Mahomes didn’t reach 200 yards passing in either meeting between these teams last year. Combined in those games, he had the same number of passing touchdowns as intercepti­ons, two apiece. Kansas City produced five plays that netted more than 25 yards when the Chiefs visited Carson to open the 2018 season. In the three meetings since, Kansas City had only six such plays.

“Getting after Mahomes,” pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu said of the key to limiting the Chiefs.

“Let him feel our presence early in the game, often in the game. If we take him away, then what can the receivers do, you know?”

The problem is, despite their relative success with Mahomes, the Chargers are still 1-3 against him. Lynn has lost five of the six times he has faced Kansas City since becoming the Chargers coach.

In those games, Lynn’s team has turned the ball over 17 times (15 intercepti­ons and two fumbles) and taken it back only twice. Kansas City has scored 58 points off those turnovers.

“That’s ridiculous,” Lynn said. “You can’t give them anything because they’re already good enough. They don’t need your help.”

The Chargers have a new quarterbac­k this time, with veteran Tyrod Taylor set to make his second start as Philip Rivers’ replacemen­t. Taylor’s greatest strength might be that he rarely loses the football.

In a 16-13 win last weekend at Cincinnati, the Chargers’ defense produced the game’s only two turnovers. Taylor didn’t throw for any touchdowns, but he wasn’t particular­ly close to being intercepte­d, either.

The Chargers hope to follow that sure-handed trend — and a defensive front providing the necessary pressure — to a victory that would qualify as a significan­t upset. There is no bigger underdog in the league today than the Chargers.

“They can’t do anything with the speed if we get after the quarterbac­k,” Nwosu said. “With the guys we have on our defensive line, I feel like we can definitely get that job done.”

The Chiefs use their speed to prove themselves superior. And no Kansas City player has epitomized that better than Tyreek Hill, especially in this matchup.

Hill has produced nine gains of at least 30 yards against the Chargers. He has scored on plays covering 95, 91, 64, 58, 34 and 30 yards.

But in another encouragin­g trend for the Chargers, Hill hasn’t scored against them since Week 1 of 2018.

With everything else they’re bringing, the Chiefs will arrive at Sofi Stadium with the additional swagger of Super Bowl champions. Nwosu insisted the Chargers don’t care.

“It’s a new season, new year, new us, new team,” he said.

“We can’t dwell on the past. The Super Bowl means nothing. I mean, if that’s what they want to hang their hat on, that’s fine. But for us, it means nothing.”

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