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3 Chargers Players to Watch Against Chiefs in Week 6

TeairPTW

The Chargers will hit the road for their final game before the bye week.

The Bolts will face the Chiefs in Week 6 at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. (PT).

Here are three players to watch on Sunday against Kansas City:

DL Teair Tart

The Chargers defense has been growing week to week, and the veteran defensive lineman has been in the middle of it.

Tart has been one of the many standouts along the strong defensive front the Bolts have had to start the year, leading the way on the interior.

"Teair is playing at a high level, competing at a high level," Harbaugh said. "He's been a force for good."

He's started in all five games to start the regular season and been a difference maker. Tart has tallied 10 total tackles, a tackle for loss and four quarterback hits.

Not to mention, he's also notched eight run stops in the first five games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Whether he's been making the play or opening up the opportunity for others on the defensive line, he's been setting he tone on the Bolts defense.

"He is the leader of playstyle as far as the violence and when you step between the white lines how aggressive are you, how angry are you as a player," Chargers Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary said. "All of that matters and he does that better than anybody. We love having him out there."

Tart will be a major key for this matchup doing just that, as the line of scrimmage will be an emphasis against a team that ranks top five in the league at running the ball.

Check out the best photos from practice on Wednesday at The Bolt in El Segundo!

RB Kimani Vidal

Vidal provided arguably the biggest play of the day last week against the Broncos.

Late in the third quarter with the game tied at 10, the running back took a hand off and raced 42 yards for a score while breaking a number of tackles along the way.

It was Vidal's second touchdown of the season after a receiving score the week prior in Seattle, as he is now up to 112 yards from scrimmage.

"Kimani is playing really good football … there's three outstanding backs," Harbaugh said. "Love them all."

Vidal has gotten involved more on offense over the last couple of weeks and will be one of the figures against this Kansas City front as well.

The Chiefs defense ranks as the seventh best rushing defense in the league so far entering Week 6 allowing just 92.8 rushing yards per game.

The Bolts, meanwhile, are top 10 in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball rushing for 128.2 yards a game.

It will be up to Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Vidal to make their most of their touches against a stout rushing defense as they try to control the game in a road environment.

Check out the best photos from practice on Thursday at The Bolt in El Segundo!

LB Del'Shawn Phillips

The linebacker has been relied upon during the opening stretch of the season.

Phillips has gotten the start in all five games so far and is second on the team with 29 total tackles. He's also tacked on two quarterback hits as well.

But perhaps where he's been felt the most as the weeks pass has been against the run game.

According to PFF, Phillips led all Chargers last week with four run stops against the Broncos.

That brought his season total to 12, a mark that ties him for fifth among all linebackers in the NFL. He's also tied for sixth with five tackles for loss/no gain on run plays among his position.

He's helped the Chargers defense rank top 10 in the NFL allowing just 3.75 yards per carry, which is in the top 10 in NFL. The Bolts have the most run stops in NFL (94).

Phillips' run defense on the second level will be key this week going up against Kenneth Walker, who is off to a hot start.

Walker ranks second in the NFL with 537 rushing yards in just four games and leads the league with 6.2 yards per carry.

But where he's been the most dangerous has been breaking tackles, as he has a league-high 39 missed tackles forced and is averaging over four yards after contact.

The running back has been a tough player to bring down, and Phillips will be an integral part of making sure short gains don't turn into long ones.

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