NO FUN LEAGUE MNF PLAY & BIG WRITEUP

The Chargers lost at New York despite a 21-10 lead at half-time last week - Rivers was shut out in the second half after finding perennial favorite Antonio Gates (seven targets for 5/54/1) for a score in the first half. 'It was good,' said Gates, 'I felt wonderful. Some plays came my way. I was able to make them. It was fine.' All told, Rivers tossed 16/32 for 179 yards, one TD and two interceptions at New York - Malcom Floyd (four for 2/36/0) led the team's wide receivers in reception yardage, but banged up his hip, and Vincent Jackson stunk up the place with eight targets for a mere 1/15/0 receiving at New York. Over his past three games, Rivers has been pretty pedestrian as a passer, with 55/92 for 736 yards, three TDs and three interceptions thrown.

Last week, Cassel was far from respectable throwing the football (despite the 28-0 K.C. victory) - he eked out 15/30 for 161 yards, zero TDs and two interceptions at Oakland despite their soft pass D. As is true most weeks, Bowe (10 targets for 6/76/0 receiving) and Breaston (nine for 5/64/0) led the team in receiving, while rookie Jonathan Baldwin finally made his 2011 debut with five targets coming his way, but just 1/14/0 receiving to his credit. Nobody else on the team got into the double-digits in receiving yards last week. 

The Chargers field the league's third-ranked pass D in terms of average yards allowed per game (175.7), but they have coughed up 10 passing scores through six games this year, with six interceptions (tied for 17th in the NFL) and just 10 sacks (tied for 29th) generated so far. Mark Sanchez hit them for three passing scores in the Jets' comeback victory on Sunday (18/33 for 156 net yards, three TDs and one interception), while the Broncos managed a mere 10/23 for 113 net yards, one TD and one interception vs. the Chargers back in week five. Teams don't pile up a lot of passing yards when playing the Chargers, but they have a good shot at multiple passing TDs.

Mathews enters this week with a sore thumb, so both he and Tolbert bear watching as far as their practice participation later in the week. Last week, Mathews posted 13/39/0 rushing and 4/26/0 receiving at the hard-nosed Jets, while Tolbert led the team on the ground with 11/58/1 rushing and one target for zero receptions in the other phase of the game. There is room for improvement here, friends.

The Chiefs' rush D is ranked 25th in the NFL through six contests, averaging 125.5 yards allowed per game with six rushing TDs given up to date. Oakland piled up 27/155/0 rushing vs. the Chiefs last week, while even lowly Indianapolis managed a TD with 27/78/1 rushing back in week five.

At Oakland last week, Jackie Battle (16/76/0 rushing) and Dexter McCluster (10/38/0 rushing with 1/-3/0 receiving) led the team's committee of backs, followed by Thomas Jones (9/19/0 rushing). CB Javier Arenas scored one of the team's rushing TDs while playing as a wildcat QB, posting 1/7/1 rushing, and LeRon McClain made his short-yardage skills felt with 1/1/1 rushing and 1/4/0 receiving during the contest. 'I never pursued it. I'm just doing what I'm called to do: Whatever coach wants me to do, that's what I'm going to do,' Arenas said after the game. All told, the Chiefs posted 39/139/2 rushing last week.