KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Los Angeles Chargers were unable to hold back Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West division title on Sunday night. Mahomes skillfully dodged the Chargers’ pass rush and converted a pivotal third-and-7 to tight end Travis Kelce, which ultimately led to a last-minute field goal that secured a 19-17 victory for Kansas City.
The game started badly for quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers (8-5), who faced a shutout in the first half for the first time this season, trailing 13-0 at halftime. During the first two quarters, Los Angeles struggled, managing just six first downs over six possessions and failing to reach Kansas City’s 39-yard line, resulting in five punts.
“In the first half we had penalties, got behind the sticks a few too many times to stop drives,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh remarked on their poor performance. Herbert echoed the sentiment, stating, “We didn’t make enough plays in the first half and we didn’t execute the way we wanted to. Pass game, run game, we weren’t moving the ball well.”
The rushing attack of Los Angeles was stagnant, gaining only 34 yards in the first half, while Herbert completed 10 of 18 passes for 97 yards. The offense’s struggles were a continuation of disappointing outings over the previous two weeks, where they accumulated just 333 passing yards and 139 rushing yards combined.
This lackluster first half marked the culmination of 12 quarters during which the Chargers saw 33 offensive drives yield only seven field goals and three touchdowns, with merely four trips to the red zone. “We’re just battling, doing our best to get better,” Harbaugh noted. “Just keep working and get better. What more can a coach ask? Guys are working and giving it their best. That’s all I can ask our guys to do.”
Following halftime, Herbert found a rhythm, completing his first eight passes as Los Angeles made a strong comeback with lengthy touchdown drives on their opening two possessions of the second half. “The second half we pretty much flipped the script,” Harbaugh stated confidently.
The Chargers finally got on the scoreboard with Gus Edwards’ 3-yard touchdown run, concluding a 13-play, 79-yard drive. After the defense forced the Chiefs into a three-and-out, Los Angeles seized the opportunity with a swift response, capitalizing on a pass interference penalty against Justin Reid. Herbert then connected with Quinton Johnson for a 6-yard touchdown, giving the Chargers a 14-13 lead.
Despite the Chiefs reclaiming the lead with a field goal, Herbert led the Chargers on a tactical 14-play drive that consumed much of the fourth-quarter clock, ending in Cameron Dicker’s 37-yard field goal that put Los Angeles ahead 17-16 with 4:35 remaining. However, Mahomes responded decisively, navigating around the Chargers’ defense and advancing to the Chargers’ 13-yard line. Ultimately, Matthew Wright sealed the game with a 31-yard field goal, clinching the victory for Kansas City.
“It’s a high level of frustration, but you’ve got to use it,” remarked defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia. “Keep using it and learning from it. We’ve got another four games. Can’t let one loss turn into two. We’ve got to learn from this and get ready for the next one.”
