Chargers’ worries about Chiefs showdown include crowd noise

EL SEGUNDO — The four towers appeared several weeks ago, late additions to The Bolt, the Chargers’ sparkling new headquarters. Huge loud speakers, emphasis on loud, were attached to the top of each of the towers, installed to blast crowd noise and stadium music onto each of the three practice fields.

When the individual portion of the Chargers’ practices this week were concluded and reporters were ushered from the field, the speakers blasted out the pre-recorded crowd noise and music the team is likely to hear when they face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Few teams in the NFL enjoy the sort of intimate, home-field advantage the Chiefs do. The lower stands are mere steps from the sidelines and they’re filled to overflowing with fans who have grown accustomed to watching the Chiefs defeat visiting teams, including the Chargers.

In fact, the Chargers have lost six consecutive games to the Chiefs, with their last victory coming in Kansas City, a 30-24 decision on Sept. 26, 2021. Overall, the Chargers have lost 18 of their past 21 to the Chiefs. Remarkably enough, each of those three victories have been at Arrowhead Stadium.

“Can’t wait, can’t wait,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. said the other day. “I love playing there. It’s my favorite place to play, honestly. Can’t wait. Hard places to play? You’ve got the Chiefs, you’ve got Seattle, places like that where it’s a loud environment. We’ve got to be ready to play, bro.”

This season, the Chiefs are 6-0 at home, 11-1 overall and No. 1 in the AFC.

The Chargers are 4-2 on the road, 8-4 overall and No. 5 in the AFC.

“It’s a very cool environment,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said of Arrowhead Stadium. “They do an awesome job on game days. It’s a special place to play. Those opportunities, Sunday night, under the lights, it’s always a great opportunity. We have a healthy amount of respect for them and their crowd.”

It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s also a challenge to embrace, the Chargers said.

“I always have fun when you go up against your biggest challengers and playing on the road is always tough,” Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack said. “It’s always a treat when you can quiet down a crowd and play your best football on the road. That’s what I’m looking forward to this week.”

Communication can be problematic with 76,416 fans screaming their lungs out and that’s more concerning for the Chargers’ offense than their defense. The snap count can be disrupted by the crowd and teams must shift to a silent count to counter the deafening noise coming from the stands.

The Chargers’ offense struggled last week on the road in Atlanta, but it had zero to do with the crowd noise. Mainly, that was so because there was little crowd noise to speak of after the Chargers took the lead for good, 17-10, on Tarheeb Still’s 61-yard interception return in the third quarter.

What was concerning about the Chargers’ sixth victory in eight games since their 17-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sept. 29 at SoFi Stadium, was their inability to move the ball consistently. They settled for field goals of 45, 51 and 34 yards from Cameron Dicker and Still’s interception return to beat the Falcons.

The Chargers had only 187 yards of total offense against the Falcons, well below their season average of 311.4 yards per game, which ranks 24th in the 32-team NFL. It was their second-lowest output of the season, following only the 168 yards they totaled in a 20-10 loss Sept. 22 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Herbert aggravated the sprained right ankle he suffered one week earlier in a 26-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers and was forced from the game in the fourth quarter. Herbert’s status was uncertain going into the Week 4 game against the Chiefs and his mobility was significantly limited.

Compounding matters, the Chargers played against Kansas City without starting offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, who were sidelined by injuries, and James, who served a one-game suspension after accumulating too many personal foul penalties in too short a period of games.

“They’ve won a lot of games and the Super Bowl, so it’s a big test for us,” said Chargers outside linebacker Joey Bosa, who sat out the first game against the Chiefs because of an injury. “It’s fun. It’s a really good environment. It’s truly a football environment. It’s going to be nice and brisk outside.”