Chiefs are still the kings of the best division
Written by ABC AUDIO on September 16, 2022
There was a lot of talk about who could overtake the Kansas City Chiefs in a new-look AFC West. The other three teams in the division made big-time additions to their rosters in the offseason, but two weeks in, and the Chiefs are still the kings of the best division in football. Thursday night, Patrick Mahomes and Co. downed the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24.There was a lot of talk about who could overtake the Kansas City Chiefs in a new-look AFC West.
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The other three teams in the division made big-time additions to their rosters in the offseason, but two weeks in, and the Chiefs are still the kings of the best division in football. Thursday night, Patrick Mahomes and Co. downed the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24.
Both Mahomes and Justin Herbert started off slow, but ultimately found their respective rhythms. Mahomes built on his impressive Week 1 performance, completing 24 of 35 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Herbert on the other hand completed 33 of 48 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Mike Williams stepped up for the inactive Keenan Allen in a big way, as he caught eight passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
The Chiefs made an interesting decision to kick a field goal on the Chargers’ 1-yard line to start the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 17 apiece. Fans didn’t question that decision for long, as the rookie Jaylen Watson picked off Herbert at the 1-yard line on the next drive, and returned it 99 yards the other way for the Chiefs’ first lead of the game.
Herbert suffered a chest/rib injury that knocked him out for a play while trying to orchestrate a comeback. While he returned, he didn’t look comfortable at all. He still led a nine-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Josh Palmer on fourth-and-goal, but L.A. could not recover the onside kick
If nothing else, the Amazon Prime’s “Thursday Night Football” debut was entertaining.
In an AFC West showdown between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, the two delivered a riveting game that was decided by one crucial mistake between them.
The Chiefs pulled out a 27-24 win over the Chargers, their first win over their division foe in the past three seasons. Although the Chargers got out to a 17-7 lead behind a methodical offense and an excellent showing from Mike Williams, the Chiefs came back to score 20 unanswered points to open up a 10-point lead, which the Chargers were unable to overcome.
The defining moment of the game came at 17-17, when Herbert was picked off at the goal line by Jaylen Watson, which the rookie housed from 99 yards out. Herbert threw into coverage trying to find Gerald Everett, and Watson undercut him to make the biggest play of the game.
Mahomes, however, was far from perfect. He made a few questionable throws, including two on one drive that could have (and arguably should have) been picked off by Asante Samuel Jr. The second one looked like the pick six Watson eventually got, and the Chiefs were able to get a field goal on the drive.
Herbert, to his credit, battled injuries at the end of the game that created some truly head-scratching moments. After Chase Daniel had already taken a snap, Herbert scrambled on the Chargers’ last dive. With daylight ahead of him, he limply spiked the ball instead of running for the first down. On fourth-and-1, however, Herbert unleashed a rocket to DeAndre Carter, who hauled it in on the five. Eventually, the Chargers scored to Joshua Palmer in the back of the end zone to make it 27-24, but after failing to recover the ensuing onside kick the Chiefs killed the clock.
Herbert completed 33 of his 48 passes for three touchdowns and an interception, whereas Mahomes went 24 of 35 for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The interception ended up being the difference, but there were heartening signs. Williams looked like a legitimate No. 1 receiver, hauling in eight catches for 113 yards and making the absence of Keenan Allen more palatable.
Mahomes lived up to his preseason promise to fantasy owners and spread the ball around for the second week in a row, hitting nine different receivers and targeting 10 over the course of the game. The leading receiver was Kelce at 51.
It was a clean game overall, and the reality is in a clean game, one mistake can be the difference. That was the case for the Chargers Thursday.
The Sporting News tracked it all live.
Chargers vs. Chiefs score Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 FChargers 3 7 7 7 24Chiefs 0 7 7 13 27Chargers vs. Chiefs updates, highlights from “Thursday Night Football”(All times Eastern)
11:14 p.m. — That’s ballgame. Chiefs hold on to win 27-24, as the Chargers lose a 10-point lead helped along by Jaylen Watson’s pick six.
11:12 p.m. — Although the Chiefs initially botched the inside kick, they fall on it and keep the ball. Kansas City should be able to kill the clock with just one timeout left for Los Angeles.
11:09 p.m. — On fourth down, instead of kicking the field goal and trying to make it a one-possession game, the Chargers go to the end zone for Joshua Palmer and score six on a nice look-off from Herbert. The Chargers keep it interesting. Chiefs 27, Chargers 24.
