When your Los Angeles Chargers take on the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, they won’t be facing Pro Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Instead, LA will square off against his backup Blaine Gabbert, who will be making his first start since 2018.

Mahomes will be resting in this game with the playoffs coming next weekend. The Chiefs have already locked up a playoff spot, so there is no need for him to suit up.

However, with Gabbert in the mix, the Chiefs offense isn’t going to change. They will run the same offensive attack, but the team will also likely be missing some weapons, per Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. 

“We run coach (Andy) Reid’s offense, and ultimately, that’s what we’re going to run. Every quarterback is different, every quarterback does things differently, some things better than others et cetera, et cetera,” Gabbert said. “We’re just going to run our offense. Hopefully throw to the open guy, run the ball well and score some points.”

The Chargers will be looking to get interim head coach Giff Smith his first win, so they will be fighting in this one. They would love to send him off with a victory, and it’s a chance for the team to finish the year on a high note.

“The motivation to get ready for this game is not an issue. You have seen these last two games, these guys have come out and played hard. We just have to find a way to get over the hump,” Smith said. “As far as anything personal goes, that’s kind of irrelevant to me right now. I want to do right by these guys and the organization and go out there and beat Kansas City.”

It’s been a frustrating season for the Bolts all around, but they are hopeful about getting the win this weekend. They’ve looked a little better over the last couple of weeks, so maybe this is the time for it to finally happen.