Arrowhead Pride
In an AFC West slugfest, the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t pull out a needed win against the Los Angeles Chargers in a 16-13 loss.
Here are three takeaways from a defeat that effectively ended Kansas City’s season.
Early on, Kansas City played with real urgency. The offense opened with an 11-play, 53-yard drive that reached the 12-yard line before quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled in on second-and-goal for the game’s first touchdown.
Tight end Travis Kelce looked locked in from the start. On a third-and-11 in Chargers territory, Kelce found space and secured a low throw before turning upfield for 17 yards. A moment later, he helped spring Mahomes with a key block on the scramble that made it 7-0.
The defense was also aggressive. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit dialed up pressure from the opening series — linemen dropping into coverage, cornerbacks triggering downhill — and that early disruption showed up again on rookie defensive end Ashton Gillotte’s second-quarter interception.
Once again, defensive tackle Chris Jones showed his All-Pro value in big moments. Early, he led the surge that stuffed Chargers running back Omarion Hampton on third-and-2 to force a punt. Jones also piled up quarterback hits and helped set the table on a sack shared by Gillotte and defensive end Charles Omenihu.
Kelce, Jones, and plenty of others matched Los Angeles’ physicality for four quarters. The difference was that it often felt like the visiting staff consistently matched that intensity.
From the start, Los Angeles made it clear it wanted the game played on its terms — leaning on a heavy run look in the cold, with Justin Herbert under center, a fullback in the backfield and an extra lineman on the field.
The Chiefs’ defense held up for most of the first half. But two explosive completions flipped the margin late: a 37-yard gain moved the Chargers close, then Herbert beat pressure and found a receiver in the back of the end zone to make it 13-10.
Kansas City’s pressure was real — Herbert took four sacks — but he grew more comfortable navigating it as the afternoon wore on. In the third quarter, he stepped up through a collapsing pocket and hit his tight end inside the 5 to set up the game-tying field goal.
On the very next drive, the Chargers finally cracked Kansas City’s run defense with a 26-yard gash — the kind of play that changed field position and let Los Angeles take a 3-point lead just before the fourth quarter.
The script felt familiar: a tight game, a chance in the fourth quarter to take control — and another loss defined by missed opportunities.
The fourth quarter began with Mahomes throwing an interception in the red zone on third-and-12. The play broke down, and Mahomes gave running back Kareem Hunt a chance at the goal line —...
