The Kansas City Chiefs (8-2) are gearing up to face the Los Angeles Rams (3-7) in Week 12.
Just as we have over the past six seasons, the Chiefs Wire staff will offer its weekly predictions for each Chiefs game. Below you’ll find all of our picks for Kansas City’s Week 12 matchup against the Chargers on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 3:25 p.m. CT at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Charles Goldman’s prediction:
It always seems like when there’s an opportunity for a blowout win that the Chiefs play down to their opponents. While no Matthew Stafford looks good on paper, it could actually be beneficial for the Rams. Playing against a dual-threat quarterback like Bryce Perkins who doesn’t have a lot of tape out there might actually be a greater challenge for the Kansas City defense. It’ll also help out the Rams’ offensive line to have an athletic-type QB under center. They might be the worst OL unit in the league just from an attrition standpoint.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams still have a ton of pieces that can frustrate the Chiefs’ offense and make things difficult on Patrick Mahomes. Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd can get after the quarterback, Bobby Wagner can stop the run and Jalen Ramsey is still dangerous in coverage even in a down year by his standards.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think the Chiefs are going to win, but if they’re not careful this could be a close game. I’d be very surprised if they cover the spread given how large it is (up to 15.5 points as of my writing).
Chiefs 31, Rams 21
Nick Roesch's prediction:
It almost sounds too good to be true that the Chiefs are facing a Rams team that will be without Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, whom they were already struggling to win with anyways. While the Rams could start the game inspired and play hard, I just can’t see a scenario where they hang with the Chiefs for very long.
Bryce Perkins is a good athlete and I expect him to the run ball quite a bit, both by design and if his first read is taken away. I also expect the Rams to give rookie running back Kyren Williams a decent workload, who they want to find out about as they begin to plan for next season.
The Chiefs should be able to get pressure with just four or five against the poor L.A. offensive line. This is a golden opportunity for the K.C. defense to get some turnovers, something it has struggled to do thus far. Offensively, the Chiefs will need to stay sharp as the Rams still have a formidable front seven.
I expect Patrick Mahomes to continue to look like the MVP against a mediocre Rams’ passing defense. Even though L.A. is solid against the run, with the success K.C. has had running the ball lately I hope it stays committed to feeding Isiah Pacheco and gives Ronald Jones a handful of reps.
Chiefs 38, Rams 13
Wesley Roesch's prediction:
While debuting quarterbacks have played the Chiefs close in the past, they rarely ever win those games. I certainly don’t believe Bryce Perkins is going to come into Arrowhead and keep up with Kansas City, despite the jokes I make about it on Twitter.
Honestly, I don’t see how the Rams score many points at all this weekend, regardless of whether Perkins or John Wolford gets the start. Receiver Cooper Kupp is out, the Rams released their best running back, and the Rams’ offensive line may be the worst in the NFL. The Chiefs’ defense should feast on this squad. The only way I see the Rams scoring is when the Chiefs inevitably let up off the gas in the second half.
Of course, defensive tackle Aaron Donald always has the potential to do some damage, but it’s going to be tough to stop the Chiefs if L.A.’s offense is constantly giving the ball back to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. I expect the Chiefs to go up early and coast through this game, with the potential for hiccups if K.C. chooses to fool around as it can at times.
Chiefs 37, Rams 13
Ed Easton Jr.'s prediction:
The Kansas City Chiefs will hope to keep their love for LA teams going as they prepare to battle the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday. The Rams are an injury-ridden team walking into Arrowhead Stadium far removed from last year’s Super Bowl run.
The Chiefs will resume their focus on establishing a consistent run game with Isiah Pacheco leading the charge. Pacheco’s effectiveness will dictate the flow of the offense as Patrick Mahomes will be able to use play-action sets more in the game plan. The return of JuJu Smith-Schuster will be essential as the Chiefs will have another consistent option to complement Travis Kelce throughout the game.
On defense, Nick Bolton will be actively swarming the ball as the Rams are still trying to figure out their offense without multiple key players. An ample opportunity for rookies Trent McDuffie and Bryan Cook to make plays in the secondary and come away with turnovers. The Chiefs will need to dominate early and not let a wounded Rams team hang around late in the game.
Chiefs 42, Rams 10
