Nine times. Nine times in the past five years the Chargers have attempted to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs. Nine times they've failed.
The nine-game losing streak to the division rival dates to Week 12, 2013. Since that day, the Chargers have lost nine straight to Andy Reid's team.
Tonight L.A. looks to avoid a double-digit streak.
Many of the newcomers say the team isn't focused on the years of losing to K.C.
"It was nine?" center Mike Pouncey, who signed this offseason, asked, via the L.A. Daily News. "We lost nine in a row to them? Damn. Yeah, I didn't know that, but I guess it really doesn't matter. It's the next game for us."
Pouncey added: "I didn't know we lost nine in a row, that's crazy. It's not something that's talked about around here at all. It's just our next game."
Coach Anthony Lynn, in just in his second season, underscored the notion that many of the players have been around for all nine losses.
"We've lost three that I know of," Lynn said. "I don't know about much, but three is too many for me. We'd like to stop that streak."
Only a handful of players have been around for all nine losses. Those few, like quarterback Philip Rivers, could point out that the Chargers previously beat the Chiefs in 11 of 13, including a four-game win streak before the current skid started.
"We can make stats say whatever we want," Rivers said. "We kick off on Thursday. This game, we'll see what happens on Thursday. Each game, to me, stands alone.
"While I acknowledge that's been the case -- it's been a while -- but there are guys in this locker room that have only played them one time."
As much as the Chargers point to mostly new faces being involved in the losing streak, it can also be pointed out that they've only faced Patrick Mahomes in one of those losses. The dynamic MVP candidate brings another dimension to the recently lopsided rivalry.
L.A. will stick to its mantra, that at 10-3, this is a different season and a different team than the one that lost all those other games to K.C.
"We're a different team," Gordon said. "Making more plays, more explosive, more confident, more swagger. The first couple of weeks they always say you're trying to find yourself."
Thursday night we see if the Chargers found themselves.
