Arrowhead Stadium will be loud on Sunday afternoon, and the Chargers will walk into that noise carrying one big question: Can they turn a close fight into their first win? Los Angeles is 0-5, but its last game showed the kind of spark it needs. The Chargers led Denver in the second half before sacks, fumbles and an interception swung the ending. Now they face a Chiefs team that is 4-0 and looks determined to prove last season’s 6-11 stumble was only a detour.

Kansas City has rebuilt its attack around a dangerous one-two punch. Patrick Mahomes is healthy again, and he has thrown nine touchdown passes in four games. He can fire quick passes, change the angle of a throw and create something when a play starts to break apart. His trusted tight end, Travis Kelce, still knows how to slip into open space, while Rashee Rice can turn a short catch into a long run. Rice is questionable with hamstring and knee injuries, so his status will matter.

The biggest new force is Kenneth Walker III. He has rushed for 537 yards already, an eye-popping start that shows why Kansas City’s offense has been so hard to stop. Walker hits a hole quickly, cuts away from defenders and has the strength to finish runs. The Chiefs average more than 400 yards per game because opponents must worry about both Walker’s running and Mahomes’ passing. That is like trying to guard two doors at once while a third one opens behind you.

Los Angeles must make Kansas City earn every yard, then keep the ball safely in Justin Herbert’s hands. Herbert has a powerful arm and has added 142 rushing yards, showing he can escape trouble and move the chains himself. But the Chargers have scored only 16.8 points per game, and seven interceptions have hurt drives. Against Denver, two late strip-sacks, meaning sacks that knock the ball loose, changed a possible breakthrough into another loss.

The Chargers can fight back by giving Omarion Hampton room to run. Hampton brings power through traffic and enough speed to burst into open space, as he showed on a 42-yard touchdown last week. Ladd McConkey’s sharp routes can help Herbert find quick, safe throws, while Quentin Johnston offers a deep target. Yet McConkey, Johnston and several other Chargers are questionable, and Los Angeles will also be without important linemen Tyler Biadasz, Rashawn Slater and Trey Pipkins III. Those absences could make protecting Herbert even tougher.

Kansas City’s defense gives up fewer than 20 points per game, and the Chiefs have been better at protecting the ball than the Chargers. Still, Los Angeles has enough young speed to make this an exciting AFC West challenge if it starts fast and avoids mistakes.

The Chargers are chasing the first bright chapter of their season. The Chiefs are chasing proof that their championship window is wide open again. At home, with Mahomes and Walker leading a balanced offense, Kansas City is the pick to win.

Chargers Chase a Breakthrough in Kansas City