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It is extremely rare for a team to be at its peak at any time of a 16-week season, which seems to be the case for both teams when the Chargers welcome the Chiefs in the first game of the season.
Kansas City's eternal defender, Eric Berry, is considered dubious with a heel injury, and head coach Andy Reid hinted that he was unlikely to play.
Meanwhile, the Bolts know they will be without one of their biggest stars, Joey Bosa having been officially declared unavailable.
However, it is not the same thing that made him miss the pre-season.
"He had a slight setback on Wednesday," said head coach Anthony Lynn shortly after the decommissioning. "It's a different injury, but it's going to be week after week … I was surprised. I was really surprised. I could not wait to find him like everyone else.
Maybe no one else was eager for him to return to the field more than Bosa himself.
"He is very frustrated," continued Lynn. "He's been waiting for a while to come back to the field and he's doing everything he can. He just wants to be there with his teammates, so yes, he is very frustrated right now … It's football. It is sometimes unpredictable sometimes. He was right on the ground doing exercises and that's when he felt it.
The good news is that the Chargers have more than confidence in second-year defenseman Isaac Rochell of Notre Dame who will leave in the place of Bosa.
A star in the spring during the off-season program, the 23-year-old, aged 6 to 4 and 280 pounds, recovered where he left off during training camp. Better yet, he was one of the most consistent playmakers of the season. Rochell also started every contest in Bosa's place, gaining valuable reps with first-team defense that should pay off on Sunday.
For all these reasons and more, Lynn has expressed confidence in Rochell.
"Very confident in Isaac," he said. "Isaac had a great camp. He grew up as a weed. I told him that it was a hell of a chance for him. I believe he will engage and do the work.
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley noted earlier in the week that Rochell had played an important role in the defense even before Bosa was defeated.
"Isaac Rochell did a good job for us," he said. "He had a lot of reps in the pre-season and we are (with) where he is. Now, Ike was going to play anyway. So, I think that as a defense, we are very convinced of the guys in place. "
Not that he needs reinsurance, but Rochell admitted after his practice that it was very important for him to have the support and confidence of his coaches.
"It's always nice to know that your coaches trust you," he said. "When that happens, you do not want your coaches to feel in survival mode now. You want them to be like, "Well, well, the next guy. We trust him, let us roll. "They tell me it's a good job, which makes me happy. But the biggest is during the practice week. Practice well to prepare myself.
Coaches are not the only ones who are impressed by Rochell's progress last year. In fact, at the end of June, Bosa and Melvin Ingram went out of their way to congratulate their young teammates.
"I've always loved Isaac," Bosa said at the time. "I think he's a great guy and he has the potential to be a good rush. The jump that he made is rather unexpected. To see him out with his hands, as he moves, is incredible. He does a very good job.
"He certainly plays games," added Ingram. "Ike has always been good. We always knew that he could do it. And he only shows his talent because he made a lot of pieces. It will definitely be another part of our rotation. "
Now it's time to see this development unfold when it matters most. And even though Rochell knew he would have an expanded role in 2018, he had no idea he would end up paving the way for the season.
"I think the preparation, the OTAs, the training camp (and) going through all that, you are developing as your own player," he explained. "So when you go out to play, you do as you normally do. Once again, the start of the pre-season gave me the confidence of who I am as a player and I developed as a "starter". I knew I was going to play more, so I guess it's just a title, not necessarily a huge novelty. But it's different, it's cool. I just have to do what I have to do and we all have to do our job.
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