AFC Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, Kadarius Toney, Raiders

Chargers

Chargers OC Joe Lombardi thinks that a slight dip in Justin Herbert‘s statistics this season is due to a lack of big play opportunities.

“I think it has been more challenging with all of the different pieces,” Lombardi said, via Jeff Miller of the LA Times. “I think when you get in a situation like that, you can push too hard and turn the ball over. For the most part, he has protected it well. I think, maybe, some of the opportunities to make the big plays just haven’t been there for him and he’s just trying to play smart. I’m not worried about his regression.”

Los Angeles has been without WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for multiple weeks. Lombardi is confident that having both of them back will be a “big boost” for their offense.  

“If they are going, it’s huge,” Lombardi said. “They are our two best receivers. If they are out there and healthy, it’s a big boost.”

Chargers HC Brandon Staley added that they’ve had an issue with continuity this season and he is proud of their players for persevering despite the circumstances. 

“It has been a tough stretch for us, five or six games, because there has just been no continuity whatsoever,” Staley said. “What I am proud of is our coaching staff and our players hanging tough, and that’s what you have to do sometimes in the NFL.”

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had high praise of recently acquired WR Kadarius Toney playing in multiple receiver roles and thinks it’s a “testament” to his athletic ability.  

“But just us being able to move him around as much as we have, it’s a testament to him,” Mahomes said, via ProFootballTalk. “He’s really got in here, he’s learned. He’s learned multiple positions. We’ve moved him around now, it’s not like he’s in that one spot. And so, we’ll just continue to build on that.”

Mahomes added that they don’t want to “overwhelm” Toney but expects the receiver to become “more involved” going forward. 

“We don’t want to overwhelm him. We don’t want to put too much on his plate, but we’re going to keep giving him more and more, and get him more involved in this offense because it’ll make this offense better as a whole as the season goes on.”

Raiders

Raiders QB Derek Carr was pleased that owner Mark Davis gave an endorsement of HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. 

“It really did,” Carr said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “Just being here for nine years and everything that we’ve all seen and been through, and some tragedies, and all this stuff, right? I’m so happy to hear that Mr. Davis feels that way. I’m so happy that he loves Josh, he loves [first-year general manager Dave Ziegler], he believes in them.”

Carr believes Davis standing behind McDaniels is a message to “trust that process” of building. 

“It kind of let us know, the process, trust that process. There is a process and we do have time during the season that we know who our leader is, and we know that we’re rolling, and that gives us confidence as a football team. So, absolutely, when he came out and did that, ‘Whew, thank goodness.’ That kind of thing,” said Carr. 

Raiders WR Davante Adams is confident that McDaniels is the right man for the job and deserves patience. 

“There’s no magic coach that’s going to come in and change that,” Adams said. “And I think that Josh is doing a great job and he does deserve that, in my mind. We can all be better in certain instances but some of the greatest coaches that this league has seen had some tough times and I’m sure they didn’t all come out the block sprinting like Usain Bolt, starting their career off, or starting with a new organization. So, I think it’s good move by [Davis] doing that. It’s good for Josh, good for the rest of the guys, too.”