The Kansas City Chiefs must have felt very comfortable with Patrick Mahomes assuming the reins as their starting quarterback with minimal experience as an NFL starter, because they let go of Alex Smith, who seemed to be just the kind of person Andy Reid liked having at the position. But maybe the organization felt as if they could only go so far with Smith, and the playoff collapse at home against the Tennessee Titans was the last straw. So they will take their new QB with them into the (relatively) tiny StubHub Center on Sunday to tackle the Los Angeles Chargers in a game that kicks off at 4:05 PM ET.

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It's obviously highly unusual that a team would trade a way the league's leader in passing efficiency, but that is exactly what happened here. The feeling, apparently, is that Mahomes is the guy who is able to better stretch the field, although Smith had shown last season, with an eight-yard per-pass average, that he could make his throws count. Of course, the weapons Smith had at his disposal were formidable. Tyreek Hill graduated from a return specialist to a very productive receiver, with 1183 yards. Tight end Travis Kelce also surpassed the 1000-yard mark. And rookie running back Kareem Hunt, a third-round draft pick out of Toledo, led the league in rushing. Can he duplicate that? We're not too sure about that.

The Chargers had a rough start last year, as poor place-kicking did them in, and it is tough to come back from an 0-4 hole to make the playoffs, even though they came close. They hope they have addressed the kicking problem with Caleb Sturgis who won the job over Roberto Aguayo in camp. They bring back a plethora of offensive talent, as well as a defense that was third in the NFL in points allowed.

In the NFL odds posted at BetAnySports, the Chargers are the favorites:

Los Angeles Chargers -3.5 (-105)
Kansas City Chiefs +3.5 (-115)

Over 49 points -110
Under 49 points -110

Philip Rivers (4515 yards) returns as LA's quarterback, and he's got enough receivers to choose from, including Keenan Allen (102 catches last year). And truth be told, Rivers is the type of guy who can make things happen, regardless of who he is throwing to. The ground game, which head coach Anthony Lynn likes to emphasize, could have used an upgrade, as Melvin Gordon (just 3.9 ypc last season) may have to carry too big a load. Another note: Hunter Henry, who was ready to come into his own as a tight end, suffered an injury in the spring and won't play this season. After a lot of speculation, the Chargers made the call to bring back future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, who they had released.

The Chiefs can't out Marcus Peters on Allen, because he is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Getting Kendall Fuller back in the Alex Smith trade with Washington did not produce the same level of cornerback. And safety Eric Berry, the perennial Pro Bowler, won't play because of a heel injury. Ron Parker, who was just acquired by Kansas City this week, will take his place. But the other safety, Daniel Sorenson, is out of action as well.

The Chargers surrendered just 17 points a game last season, which was third best in the NFL. It is true that corner Jason Verrett, who's had injury problems, is out again, but you can fully expect that they will send all kinds of pressure out there against Mahomes, and they are capable of it with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. One thing to keep in mind here is that any success Andy Reid has had in Kansas City has been predicated on minimizing turnovers. Smith threw just five interceptions last season, but we have the feeling Mahomes is going to make more mistakes than that. So in a lot of ways it's back to "square one" for the Chiefs, and in front of the 25,000 fans at the StubHub Center, the Bolts should make good on the win and the cover.

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