The San Francisco 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks in the opening game of the Wild Card round.

San Francisco progressed to the postseason as the NFC second seed, and have home field advantage in the first game of this season's playoffs, which will take place on Saturday.

The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in their final regular-season game and were subsequently handed a favour by the Detroit Lions, who eliminated the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers from playoff contention.

In Saturday's second game, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who clinched the AFC South title with a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

A day later, the Buffalo Bills, who beat the New England Patriots in an emotional game on Sunday, will host the Miami Dolphins.

The Cincinnati Bengals, whose January 2 game against the Bills was suspended and subsequently cancelled altogether following Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's final game, after the New York Giants have taken on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Wild Card round concludes with the Dallas Cowboys' trip to face Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Joey Bosa has been activated from the injured reserve list ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers' clash with the Los Angeles Rams on New Year's Day.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection has not played since Week 3 after undergoing groin surgery, but he returned to practice on Thursday.

Outside linebacker Bosa is in line to return in the Week 17 encounter at SoFi Stadium after he came off IR on the eve of the game.

Bosa had been designated to return, opening up a 21-day window for the playoffs-bound Chargers to decide whether to activate him.

The 27-year-old has played 82 games and made 77 starts for the Chargers, making 59.5 sacks and 218 solo tackles.

He has also forced 14 fumbles and three recoveries and will strengthen the 9-6 team as they prepare for the postseason.

The Chargers also announced they have waived running back Sony Michel, while they elevated defensive lineman David Moa and running back Larry Rountree III from the practice squad for their first game of 2023.

Los Angeles Chargers' four-time Pro Bowl selection Joey Bosa returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since groin surgery after Week 3.

The Chargers edge rusher, who suffered a groin tear in the Week 3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been designated to return from injured reserve, opening up a 21-day window for the playoffs-bound team to decide whether to activate him.

Bosa said after practice on Thursday that he is feeling the best he has in years, in a promising sign for the 9-6 Chargers.

"I'm feeling really good. It's kind of revitalising, honestly," Bosa told reporters. "This was something that really caused me a lot of pain and kind of stress throughout the last couple of years, and I've gotten to a point where I was used to it and I didn't understand how much was really wrong.

"Obviously, it sucks to miss all this time, but its honestly something that I really, really needed to get done."

The 27-year-old was optimistic about playing for the Chargers on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

"I kind of made it a point not to come back until I felt confident in myself and being able to perform in a game and not just go out there for three reps at practice and feel decent," Bosa said. "I'm feeling very good."

Bosa has been an impact pass rusher since entering the NFL as the third overall selection of the 2016 draft.

The seventh-year veteran led the Chargers with 10.5 sacks in 2021, the fourth time he’s reached double digits in that category for his career.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley has hailed his side for clinching a playoff berth but made it clear it is "just the beginning" for the team.

A first playoff spot for the Chargers since 2018 was clinched with a 20-3 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, marking only the second venture into the postseason since the franchise returned to Los Angeles from San Diego.

However, Staley has his sights set on more significant goals as he looks to steer the Chargers all the way to Super Bowl glory – something that has evaded the franchise in their history, having made only one appearance in 1994 when they suffered defeat against the San Francisco 49ers.

"It's just the beginning; this is not our final goal," he told reporters.

"I'm really proud of how this season has gone for our football team and what we've been able to demonstrate to make it into the postseason. That's what I'm most proud of, not that we did it but how we made it, what it took for us to get in, but this is just the beginning for us.

"The reason why we're here is because of the men on our football team. We've got the make-up to withstand the type of season that we've had. We wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the toughness of our football team.

"For far too long, people have talked about the talent and organisation but that's ultimately not what gets you where you want to go. You have to prove your toughness, and that's what we've proven so far this year.

"Our season is not over. We have two more games against really good teams and we need to play our best football so we not only get into the playoffs but so that we can make a run to a Super Bowl championship, which is what we want."

The Chargers' playoff berth is the first of Justin Herbert's career and, while he was proud of the achievement, he backed the defense for their performance and believes there is more to come from his side of the team.

"We've dealt with our fair share of adversity. The story of the day was the defense, stepping up and getting those stops in. There's plenty of room for improvement with our offense but it's a good sign of things to come," he said after the game.

"Some games that didn't go our way last year, but we were able to learn from that and fix it. I think the guys in the locker room deserve that. They've worked so hard and earned it. I think the Chargers operation have done a great job in the past few years."

The Los Angeles Chargers' defense dominated Indianapolis Colts quarterback Nick Foles in his first start of the season to collect a 20-3 victory and book the first playoff berth of the Justin Herbert era.

Herbert, the sixth overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, has already been anointed as part of the next great wave of quarterbacks, but is yet to taste postseason action after going 7-9 as a rookie and 9-8 last year.

With a playoff spot on the line with a win on Monday, the Chargers' defense played inspired football, sacking former Super Bowl champion Foles seven times while also intercepting three passes.

The Colts' only points came from a field goal in the second quarter, but they remained in the game at half-time as Austin Ekeler scored the Chargers' only first-half touchdown to lead 10-3.

After Cameron Dicker's second field goal made things a two-score game in the third period, Ekeler rumbled in for his second one-yard touchdown of the contest early in the fourth quarter to blow out the lead.

With his two touchdowns, Ekeler now owns the outright league-lead with 16 combined trips to the endzone – 11 rushing and five receiving. He handled 16 carries for 67 yards with his two scores, while adding four catches for 12 yards.

It was not Herbert's best game, completing 24 of his 31 passes for 235 yards and an interception, but he had a strong connection with receiver Keenan Allen, who had 11 catches for 104 yards.

Defensively, superstar pass-rusher Khalil Mack was one of six Chargers to register at least one sack, while Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr and Derwin James Jr collected the interceptions.

Nick Foles will start for the Indianapolis Colts against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday as Matt Ryan is benched for a second time this season.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Ryan led the Colts through the first seven games, but was demoted after the 19-10 defeat to the Tennessee Titans in October with the team 3-3-1.

Sam Ehlinger started in his place but lost both games before Ryan was given the nod for the 25-20 road victory over the Oakland Raiders in Week 10, the first game under new head coach Jeff Saturday after Frank Reich was fired.

Indianapolis have gone 0-4 since that win though, including a stunning 39-36 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday having led 33-0 at half-time.

The second-half collapse was the biggest in NFL history, with the Vikings scoring 29 unanswered points from 36-7 down to send the game to overtime, before Greg Joseph kicked a field goal to condemn the Colts to a dramatic loss.

That is likely to be Ryan's final game of the season and potentially his time in Indianapolis is over,

Foles won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles, toppling Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl MVP-winning performance.

He has played for the Colts' AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars since then as well as the Chicago Bears, and gets another chance to start at the age of 33.

With Indianapolis 4-9-1 and likely to be officially ruled out of playoff contention this weekend, Saturday believes the change at quarterback is necessary.

"It's never an easy decision," Saturday told reporters. "[I] think the world of Matt, he’s a pro’s pro.

"It's not been the season he expected, nor the Colts as a whole.

"[I] just didn't feel we made enough plays offensively. This is not all on Matt.

"Ultimately I feel like Nick will give us a better chance to go win these last three games."

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley led the praise for quarterback Justin Herbert after he produced a late game-winning drive, culminating in Cameron Dicker's game-winning field goal in their 17-14 triumph over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Ryan Tannehill had tied the game with a one-yard QB sneak with 48 seconds left before Herbert took control, driving the Chargers forward for 52 yards in six plays, with Dicker nailing the 43-yard field-goal attempt with four seconds left.

Herbert completed 28 of 42 passes for 313 yards, becoming the first player in NFL history with 4,000 pass yards in each of his first three seasons. It was Herbert's fifth game-winning drive this season.

"Your triggerman is the answer for your whole team," Staley told reporters.

"The other thing, if you take a look at the ball game from the sideline, just how into it he was with the defense… he barked at our guys and said, 'I got it. I got it, fellas. You just give us a chance, and we got it.' That's what you want from your triggerman, and that's why I'm proud of him.

"You find out about your quarterback in two-minute, and it was an amazing two-minute drill for him."

The result moves the Chargers into sixth spot in the AFC with an 8-6 record, capitalising on losses for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets.

The Chargers QB did not throw a touchdown for only the third time in his 46-game NFL career.

Stanley added: "He's not going to be happy with how we play today, and neither am I. That's the other reason why we love him, because he's not satisfied with how we play.

"He has a high standard for performance. You need your best player to play well at the end, and that's what he does."

Herbert, 24, said experience helped him through the game-winning drive, which was the 13th of his three-season career.

"I think it's just one of those things that experience is the best teacher and having gone through that and being able to rep it and knowing that you have the guys around you to make plays," Herbert said.

"Just experiences and knowing that we are going to call the right plays and we're going to get the ball moving."

 Zion Johnson feels "things are starting to click" for the Los Angeles Chargers after they boosted their playoff hopes with a 23-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Quarterback Justin Herbert was outstanding at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers bounced back from their Week 13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in style.

While Herbert claimed the record for the most pass yards in a player's first three seasons in NFL history on Sunday, Mike Williams also stood out with 116 yards from six receptions on his return from an ankle sprain.

Speaking after the Chargers improved to 7-6 for the season, guard Johnson focused on the impact of players returning to full availability. 

"I feel like this is probably our first game since Week 1 where we had most of our guys active," Johnson said. 

"I think you can really tell with how explosive some of the passes were down the field and some of the things we were doing. 

"I'm just really glad that guys are getting healthy, and things are starting to click."

Wide receiver Williams set the Chargers on their way with a second-quarter touchdown, and head coach Brandon Staley was in no mood to play down the importance of his return.

"When you get Mike back in this movie, it just looks different, it feels different," Staley said. "There's just more available to you. Those guys were able to connect tonight.

"Nine guys caught passes tonight. That's the offense that we like to play, where people touch the ball."

Justin Herbert led the short-handed Los Angeles Chargers past the Miami Dolphins 27-13 after throwing for 367 yards with one touchdown pass in a thrilling Sunday clash at SoFi Stadium.

Herbert was exceptional, in a game where he claimed the record for the most pass yards in a player's first three seasons in NFL history ahead of Andrew Lock, Peyton Manning.

The Chargers QB threw a second-quarter TD pass for Mike Williams, who had 116 yards from six receptions on his return from an ankle sprain, while running back Austin Ekeler ran in another score right on half-time. Ekeler had 45 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards, while Keenan Allen made 92 yards on 12 catches.

Herbert also made an important recovery after a failed fourth-quarter snap on second-and-goal, allowing Cameron Dicker to score a field goal to stretch the margin beyond one score.

The home side held on with Nic Niemann making a crucial recovery after DeAndre Carter could not handle Jason Sanders' kick, after the Miami kicker reduced the margin within one score with a 55-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining.

The victory improved the Chargers to 7-6 to boost their playoffs' hopes, while the Dolphins suffered their second straight loss ahead of a trip to AFC East rivals Buffalo (10-3), leaving them 8-5.

Tyreek Hill did his best for the Dolphins with two touchdowns, recovering Jeff Wilson's fumble to race away for a 57-yard touchdown, before making it 17-14 in the third quarter on a 60-yard Tua Tagovailoa TD pass down the right sideline.

Hill finished with 81 yards on four receptions, while Tagovailoa completed 10-of-28 passing for 145 yards, running for 28 yards on three carries. The Dolphins QB only completed three first-half passes, with Miami managing only 55 total yards before half-time.

Only five weeks remain in the NFL regular season and places in the playoffs are still up for grabs heading into Week 14.

Come Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings could all have booked their spot in the postseason should things go their way, while others could officially see their hopes ended.

Crucial meetings are set to take place between a number of playoff contenders, including divisional rivals the Eagles and the New York Giants.

Elsewhere, the in-form San Francisco 49ers host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the New York Jets face a Vonte Miller-less Bills in Buffalo.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-5) @ Buffalo Bills (9-3)

In Week 9, the Jets ended a four-game losing streak against the Bills to win 20-17, but Buffalo stand 7-3 in their last 10 meetings at home, winning each of the last two by double-digit margins.

In the defeat to the Vikings last week, Mike White had 369 passing yards and zero touchdowns; becoming the first Jets quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards without a touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, the Bills have been strong at home this season with just one defeat in Buffalo – coming in overtime to the Vikings in Week 10. They have averaged 33.4 points per game at home this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.8 points.

An intriguing second half is on the cards, with the Bills holding a +48 points differential this season, the third-best ratio in the NFL, while the Jets rank fourth with a +44 differential.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) @ New York Giants (7-4-1)

Despite two consecutive wins against the Eagles at home, the Giants stand at 6-13 against the Eagles since 2003.

Standing 5-0 on the road this season, the Eagles are looking to tie a team record for consecutive road wins to start a season, set in 2001. Eight of the last 10 NFL teams to finish unbeaten on the road have gone on to reach the Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts has thrown 20 touchdowns this season and has rushed for nine more, throwing just three interceptions, with no NFL quarterback ever finishing a campaign with 20+ passing TDs, 8+ rushing TDs and five or fewer interceptions.

This season, the Giants are the only NFL team not to allow a single offensive touchdown of at least 35 yards. Since 1940, the only year the Giants did not give up a single such touchdown was in 1994.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

Of teams to have played at least five games on the road against the 49ers, none have a worse record than the Buccaneers, who have won just three of 15 clashes in San Francisco (3-12).

The 49ers are on a strong run, having won five straight games while holding opponents to 17 or fewer points – the fourth such streak in franchise history and the first since a six-game stint in the 1992 season.

A comeback victory for the Buccaneers against New Orleans last week saw Tampa Bay overturn a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, the Buccaneers had lost their previous 62 such games, stretching back to the 2010 season.

Tom Brady has thrown 56.3 per cent of his touchdown passes this season in the fourth quarter (nine of 16). Among the 27 quarterbacks to have at least 10 passing TDs this season, he is the only one to have at least half of his coming in the final frame.

Miami Dolphins (8-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)

The Dolphins stand 12-4 against the Chargers since 1995 but saw a five-game winning streak halted by a 33-17 loss on the road against the 49ers, where they had a season-low 33 rushing yards from eight carries – the fewest attempts in a game in Dolphins history.

Tyreek Hill remains a significant threat, tallying 146 yards in Week 13 to reach six 100-yard receiving games this season – the second-best total in a single season, behind only Mark Duper with eight in 1993.

Meanwhile, the Chargers lost to the Raiders last week despite leading 13-10 at half-time. That was their fourth loss this season in games where they have led at the interval, the second most in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos.

The two teams are second and fifth respectively in the NFL in terms of highest percentage of plays from passing attempts, but the Dolphins are first in pass yards per attempt (8.51), while the Chargers are 28th (6.52).

Elsewhere…

The Houston Texans travel to face the Dallas Cowboys, with the last two meetings between the teams going to overtime. There have been three instances of teams playing three consecutive games with overtime, most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons from 2002-2010.

The Tennessee Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars boasting a 9-1 record going back to 2017, the fifth-best record by any team against a division opponent in that span.

The Cleveland Browns head to Cincinnati on a five-game win streak against the Bengals, their best run against any opponent since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

The Minnesota Vikings are 10-2 this season despite being outgained by an average of 62.8 yards per game and head to Detroit to face the Lions, with the last four meetings all decided by four points or fewer.

Derwin James knows the Los Angeles Chargers have no room for error following their Week 13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Chargers, having claimed a dramatic win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, bumped back down to earth with a 27-20 loss at Allegiant Stadium.

It leaves the Chargers 6-6 and a game adrift of the New York Jets in the final Wild Card place in the AFC playoff picture.

They now face a critical home game with the 8-4 Miami Dolphins, and safety James believes they can ill-afford any further slip-ups if they are to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

"We gotta keep playing. There's more games to be played. Prime time next week. We gotta come out [with a] sense of urgency," said James.

"Each game from here on out, we can't lose anymore. We gotta win out."

The Chargers' run defense was again a problem area for Los Angeles, allowing Josh Jacobs to rush for 144 yards and a second-quarter touchdown.

Los Angeles' defense is allowing 5.43 yards per rush in 2022, the most in the NFL, and head coach Brandon Staley blamed poor tackling for their struggles.

"I thought we played well early," Staley said of their efforts to stop Jacobs.

"I thought there were some missed tackles in the second half, which led to most of his yards. I thought we were in good run structures but missing tackles. He forces people to miss.

"No one is out there trying to miss. He's a good back and that's going to happen. I really felt like we defended well in the first half outside of a couple of misses. In the second half, it was a little up and down.

"Guys just have to tackle better."

Justin Herbert continues to show why he is one of the most promising young quarterbacks of his generation as he led another fourth-quarter comeback for the Los Angeles Chargers, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 25-24.

The Chargers were trailing all day, beginning with a first-quarter touchdown throw from Kyler Murray to Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins. 

Los Angeles briefly hit the front in the second quarter after touchdown passes to Keenan Allen and DeAndre Carter, but in his return from a two-game hamstring injury, Cardinals quarterback Murray scrambled into the endzone to send Arizona into half-time leading 17-14.

A six-yard James Conner touchdown catch had the Cardinals up by seven late in the fourth quarter, and a punt would give the Chargers one more chance with one minute and 48 seconds remaining.

As he has done so often in his young career, Herbert marched downfield with the game on the line, finding running back Austin Ekeler for a one-yard score with 15 seconds on the clock – and they had no interest in sending it to overtime.

Instead of kicking the extra point, the offense stayed on the field for a game-deciding two-point conversion, and got it done with a quick pass to tight end Gerald Everett.

Herbert completed 35 of his 47 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers, helping the Chargers improve their record to 6-5 and keep their playoff chances alive.

Jacobs powers the Raiders past the Seahawks

Josh Jacobs had the game of his life to carry his Las Vegas Raiders to a 40-34 overtime win on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jacobs finished with 33 carries for a career-high 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns, ripping off a 30-yard score in the second quarter before ending the contest with a walk-off 86-yarder in overtime.

He now leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,159 – 149 more than second-placed Derrick Henry (1010).

This Thursday marks Thanksgiving in the United States.

That means several things. Food, family and lots and lots of football, with the traditional three games on the schedule for the holiday.

With the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings all playing, there will be plenty of fantasy relevant players in action, meaning there's no time to waste in terms of getting a winning line-up set.

Thanksgiving is, as the name makes obvious, a time to say what you're grateful for, and Stats Perform hopes you will be appreciative of the fantasy help we're here to provide with our picks of four offensive players and a defense for Week 12.
 

Quarterback: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals

The Chargers may not be feeling too grateful after having their heart broken again by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

But they must be appreciative of getting to face the Cardinals' defense in Week 12, especially with Herbert's top receiver, Keenan Allen, back in the fold.

The Cardinals have allowed 118 pass plays of 10 yards or more, the fourth-most in the NFL. Coming off a game in which he averaged 9.3 yards per attempt, Herbert is well-positioned to get the Chargers' playoff push back on track against opposition that should facilitate one of his best performances of the season.

Running Back: Jeff Wilson Jr, Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans

When Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel sits down to eat his turkey on Thursday, he may express thanks for the trade with his former employers, the San Francisco 49ers, that landed Wilson's services for Miami.

Wilson has quickly established himself as the top runner in a Dolphins backfield that was not firing on all cylinders prior to his arrival.

He averaged seven yards per carry against the Cleveland Browns' dreadful run defense last time out and now gets to face a Houston defense that has allowed 57 runs of at least 10 yards, which is 12 more than anyone else in the league.

Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills

Detroit's leading receiver may not be happy to go against the Buffalo defense in Week 12, but Jameson Williams' debut is likely to bring a smile to his face.

Williams, Detroit's second first-round pick in 2022, is practising after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in his final college game, and will give the Lions a tremendous deep threat who can stretch the field and open underneath areas for St. Brown to exploit.

In a game where the chances of the Lions falling behind and being forced to throw the ball consistently are high, that is a recipe for St. Brown racking up completions and yardage in the Thanksgiving opener.

Tight End: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. New England Patriots

There is likely to be gratitude in Vikings circles that they get the chance to quickly wash the stink off from their blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11.

Having been shellacked by the Cowboy defense, the Minnesota offense will face a different challenge in the form of the Patriots, who consistently drop eight players into coverage.

New England will almost certainly look to take Justin Jefferson away with double teams, meaning quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely have to frequently look to Hockenson over the middle of the field.

Targeted 28 times in three games since his arrival in a trade with Detroit, Hockenson appears primed for massive fantasy performance in the Thanksgiving nightcap, especially in points per reception leagues.

Defense/Special Teams: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints

The Saints' coaching staff may have a stressful Thanksgiving game planning for the 49ers, who appear to be rounding into form on both sides of the ball.

San Francisco's defense has not allowed a second-half point in any of the Niners' last three games and is giving up just 4.67 yards per play this season, the second-fewest in the NFL.

Facing a Saints offense that has committed the most giveaways (19) in the NFL, the San Francisco defense should dominate once more and deliver a crucial contribution for its fantasy owners.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has hailed teammate Travis Kelce as the "greatest tight end of all time".

The seven-time Pro Bowler caught three touchdown passes in the Chiefs' Week 11 triumph against the Los Angeles Chargers, the last of which came within the dying moments to clinch a 30-27 victory.

Kelce now stands with 11 receiving touchdowns for the season, while 115 yards against the Chargers was his highest since tallying 121 in Week 1 against the Cardinals.

The win propels the Chiefs to 8-2 for the season, the best record across the AFC, and Mahomes lauded Kelce for driving the team forward with his work ethic.

"Travis, I mean, it's Travis, greatest tight end of all time, he makes plays like that to win games," he said.

"He just competes. He's gonna keep fighting until the very end. When you see that, not only is it impressive for him, but it gets other guys going.

"Like I said, he's one of the best if not the best tight end of all time, but he's coming to work every day to get better.

"So that shows you, whenever you step in the facility, you're like, 'Man, I've got to get to work, if this guy is doing that, I have to at least match that.'"

Kelce had the edge in his matchup against Chargers safety Derwin James, one of the best in the NFL, and Mahomes says he's the one player he'd trust in a one-against-one.

"If he's man to man, I'm gonna give him a chance, and he's gonna win most of them," he added.

"They've got Derwin, Derwin is going to win his battles because he's probably the best safety in the league, but I'm going to give him a chance because I know how great he is."

The Chiefs face 2022 Super Bowl winners the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12, who stand 3-7 for the season.

Travis Kelce scored three touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs secured a huge 30-27 AFC West divisional victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes found Kelce for a 17-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to earn the Chiefs the victory, after the Chargers had re-claimed the lead when Josh Palmer scored his second TD with 1:51 left. There were six lead changes across the game, including three in the final quarter.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's desperate deep pass for Keenan Allen was intercepted by Nick Bolton on a deflection with 26 seconds remaining to end the game.

Kelce finished with three touchdowns on six receptions for 115 yards, with Mahomes throwing three TDs on 20-of-34 passing for 327 yards. The win was the Chiefs' fourth in a row and moved them to 8-2 in top spot in the AFC West, with the Chargers second at 5-5.

Herbert completed 23 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while he was sacked a career-high five times. The Chargers had allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL through 10 games coming in, at 13.

The Chargers led 20-13 at half-time, with Herbert threading a 50-yard first-quarter pass for Palmer. Kelce put the Chiefs ahead early in the second quarter, capping a seven-play 75-yard drive, before Austin Ekeler restored the hosts' lead.

The Chiefs went ahead again early in the fourth when Mahomes' 32-yard pass found Kelce.

Chargers veteran Allen was guilty of a fumble but pulled off a great catch in their next drive on a 46-yard sideline shot, leading to Palmer's second TD. But the Chiefs had the last laugh, with Kelce bursting through for the decisive score on a six-play 75-yard drive.