The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 17-10 on Sunday, improving their season record to 4-0.

And… Once againthe Chiefs find a way.

If I gave you the script of the game in advance (no NFL commercial-inspired jokes, please) and told you that the Chiefs would lose wide receiver Rashee Rice 10 minutes into the game – having already lost both Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco – how do you think the game against the Chargers would have turned out?

I don’t think many of us (myself included) would have predicted a touchdown win.

But that’s exactly what happened on Sunday.

Instead of the players accepting the utter dejection that we usually see when teams lose a key player to an injury that requires him to come off the wagon, the Chiefs calmed down and kept Suunday’s task in mind.

They couldn’t win with a dazzling offensive. They had to win with outstanding defensive play – and at the same time give everything they had on offense. That’s exactly what they did.

If three game balls had to be given up, it would be Steve Spagnuolo, Chris Jones and Matt Araiza.

Los Angeles’ first two drives seemed to show us that it would have no trouble getting the offense going without its starting tackles and quarterback Justin Herbert, who suffered a high ankle sprain. Those Chargers drives ended with seven and three points, respectively.

As it turned out, those were the last points Los Angeles would score all afternoon. Led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs defense put constant pressure on Herbert that made him uncomfortable. They stopped the run and covered well — and when Kansas City needed a star to step up and close the door, defensive tackle Chris Jones rose to the occasion.

Jones’ two sacks (and key pressure attempts) couldn’t have been more timely; His first sack put the Chargers out of field goal range midway through the second quarter. His crucial fourth-and-1 pressure came when LA had the ball at the Kansas City 3 early in the fourth quarter. His final sack ended the Chargers’ last-ditch effort late in the game.

When Kansas City needed him more than ever, Matt Araiza turned the field over every time, keeping the team in the game even though it knew it didn’t have full power.

If the Chiefs want it Three-peatthey will earn it this mid-year.

Somehow, someway, the Chiefs enter Week 5 with a 4-0 record. Early indications are that Rice will miss time, which will only compound the already existing misfortune that comes with the injuries to Brown and Pacheco.

General manager Brett Veach will undoubtedly go back to work Sunday night looking for answers to the obvious questions now plaguing the team.

This mid-year phase will not be about winning every week; It’s about managing the schedule until the team performs at its best.

If Kansas City can survive this period, Brown, Pacheco (and Charles Omenihu) will feel like mid-year free agent additions. The road ahead is tough – but if Sunday is any indication, these Chiefs aren’t going down without a fight.