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Chargers can’t keep up with Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs in 31-17 loss
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After being torched by Kansas City’s offense in the first half, the Chargers responded in the second…
It still wasn’t enough.
The Chiefs’ seven-point halftime lead remained intact deep into the fourth quarter before they put the Chargers away with a late score 31-17.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce tormented the Chargers early. Mahomes finished 32 of 42 for 424 yards and four touchdowns and Kelce with 12 catches for 179 yards.
The presence of Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., who was questionable for the game but played despite an ankle injury, wasn’t enough in the first two quarters to dissuade Kelce.
Justin Herbert interception secures Chiefs’ win over Chargers
🈠Chiefs 31, Chargers 17 — FINAL
Justin Herbert and the Chargers once again fall short in their quest for a fourth-quarter comeback.
For the second straight game, Herbert ended the Chargers’ hopes a comeback by throwing an interception, with Chiefs safety Bryan Cook picking off a deep pass intended for Keenan Allen.
The last-gasp drive started off ominously when former Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill sacked Herbert.
Chiefs extend their lead on Isiah Pacheco touchdown
🈠Chiefs 31, Chargers 17 — 3:30 left in the fourth quarter
Isiah Pacheco scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to extend the Chiefs’ lead late in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown capped a six-play, 35-yard drive.
Justin Herbert picked off in the red zone
🈠Chiefs 24, Chargers 17 — 4:55 left in the third quarter
Justin Herbert was picked off in the red zone by Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to end a prime scoring opportunity coming off a Chiefs turnover.
Following Derwin James Jr.’s fumble recovery, the Chargers drove 73 yards to the Kansas City eight-yard line before Sneed’s third-down interception off a tipped pass intended for Donald Parham Jr.
Chargers stop Chiefs drive with fumble recovery
🈠Chiefs 24, Chargers 17 — 9:06 left in the third quarter
Derwin James Jr. recovered a fumble from Chiefs tight end Blake Bell to erase what was a good-looking drive by the Chiefs. Eric Kendricks stripped the ball away from Bell and James pounced on it.
The Chargers took over on their 26-yard line.
Travis Kelce touchdown gives Chiefs halftime lead
🈠Chiefs 24, Chargers 17 — HALFTIME
Travis Kelce scored on a one-yard touchdown catch with 17 seconds left in the first half after being shoved across the goal line following a short pass from Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes started the drive with a 37-yard pass over the middle to Rashee Rice and followed with a 15-yard pass to Kelce. He then found Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a 28-yard pass after being flushed out of the pocket.
Eric Kendricks was called for pass interference on pass intended for Kelce in the end zone to set up the touchdown.
Mahomes has completed 20 of 23 passes for a staggering 321 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Kelce has nine receptions for 143 yards.
Justin Herer has 159 yards on 10-of-14 passing. Joshua Kelley has 61 yards and a touchdown on four carries, and Joshua Palmer has two catches for 67 yards.
Austin Ekeler re-entered the game late in the second quarter after limping off earlier in the half.
Asante Samuel Jr. picks off Patrick Mahomes
🈠Chargers 17, Chiefs 17 — 5:39 left in the second quarter
Patrick Mahomes tried to go deep again, but Asante Samuel Jr. made him pay this time.
Mahomes underthrew wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. and Samuel capitalized, picking him off and giving the Chargers the ball back at their 21-yard line.
Chargers respond with Gerald Everett touchdown catch
🈠Chargers 17, Chiefs 17 — 7:06 left in the second quarter
Justin Herbert connected on a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gerald Everett as the Chargers once again wipe out a Kansas City lead.
Herbert’s laser to Everett came three plays after he connected on a play-action pass to a wide-open Joshua Palmer for 60 yards.
Austin Ekeler appeared to be limping after a two-yard carry just before the touchdown.
Herbert has completed eight of 10 passes for 128 yards so far.
Chiefs strike back quickly to retake lead vs. Chargers
🈠Chiefs 17, Chargers 10 — 8:37 left in the second quarter
Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice caught a six-yard touchdown pass over Chargers cornerback Michael Davis to push the Chiefs back into the lead.
A 53-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes to tight end Travis Kelce set up the touchdown and fueled the four-play, 75-yard drive.
Joshua Kelley scores on a 49-yard touchdown run to tie game
🈠Chargers 10, Chiefs 10 — 10:42 left in the second quarter
Joshua Kelley capitalized on some great blocking by Gerald Everett and Rashawn Slater to score on a 49-yard touchdown run and tie the game.
The touchdown run capped a six-play, 75-yard drive for the Chargers.
Chiefs retake lead on Marquez Valdes-Scantling touchdown
🈠Chiefs 10, Chargers 3 — 14:11 left in the second quarter
Chiefs receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling scored his first touchdown of the season on a 46-yard reception, diving into the end zone after breaking through an Asante Samuel Jr. tackle attempt.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rolled out and found Valdes-Scantling straight in front of him. The touchdown capped a five-play, 75-yard drive and drew plenty of cheers from Taylor Swift in the Arrowhead Stadium luxury suites.
Mahomes has completed 10 of 11 passes for 150 yards so far.
Chargers tie game on Cameron Dicker’s 55-yard field goal
🈠Chiefs 3, Chargers 3 — 1:48 left in the first quarter
Cameron Dicker kicked a 55-yard field goal to tie the game after the Chargers’ second possession of the game fizzled out. It was the longest field goal ever by the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
The 10-play, 38-yard drive included a 26-yard pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen. But the drive came to a halt when Willie Gay sacked Herbert for a 13-yard loss.
Chiefs take early lead on Harrison Butker field goal
🈠Chiefs 3, Chargers 0 — 6:49 left in the first quarter
Harrison Butker kicked a 35-yard field goal to give the Chiefs an early lead after an illegal block negated a touchdown catch.
Jerick McKinnon appeared to score on a 48-yard run-and-catch before the play was called back for an illegal block above the waste by guard Joe Thuney.
Blame galore in Chargers loss to Dallas, but Justin Herbert is the guy paid to rescue wins
The Chargers have an offensive-ground-game problem. They have a defensive-third-down problem. Now, they also have a Justin Herbert problem.
Herbert might not be the reason why the Chargers were defeated on Monday night, but he couldn’t make himself the reason they won either.
And that’s a problem.
The Chargers made a record investment in him before the season because they believed he could make the kinds of throws he missed in a 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
They signed him to a contract extension worth as much as $262.5 million. because they believed he could win the kind of game they lost at SoFi Stadium.
Derwin James Jr. will play against the Chiefs
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., who was listed as questionable heading into the weekend with an ankle injury, will play against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s a look at who won’t be playing for the Chargers on Sunday:
And here are the inactives for the Kansas City Chiefs:
Taking offense to 2-3 record, Chargers face daunting dose of reality in K.C.
The Chargers have lost more games than they’ve won, are decided underdogs Sunday and trail two teams in the AFC West, one of which is Las Vegas.
Las Vegas, which already has played three quarterbacks, is 27th in the NFL in scoring and just heard its best offensive player — wide receiver Davante Adams — publicly question its offensive direction.
Heading to Kansas City and noisy and unfriendly Arrowhead Stadium, the Chargers face some hard challenges and harder truths.
Derwin James injury means Chargers might be minus both starting safeties vs. Chiefs
The closest thing the Chargers have to an answer for Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce is questionable for Sunday.
Safety Derwin James Jr. was hurt in practice Thursday and unable to work Friday because of what the team formally called an ankle injury.
James was designated as questionable to play against the Chiefs when the teams meet at 1:25 p.m. PDT Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chargers vs. Chiefs matchups: How to watch, start time, prediction
Breaking down how the Chargers (2-3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) match up heading into their AFC West game Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PDT at Arrowhead Stadium. The game will be shown on CBS and Paramount+.
When Chargers have the ball
Opening the season against Miami and a two-deep-safety scheme, the Chargers rushed for 233 yards. In four games since, they’ve totaled 299 yards. An inability to run the ball Monday against Dallas led to quarterback Justin Herbert facing significant pressure that appeared to affect him throughout and eventually resulted in a game-sealing interception.