Chargers vs. Chiefs score, takeaways: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs rally past Chargers; Justin Herbert in

Publish date: 2024-07-15

Chargers vs. Chiefs score, takeaways: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs rally past Chargers; Justin Herbert injured. Many people speculated that other teams in the AFC West could challenge the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though their divisional rivals have strengthened their rosters in the summer, the Chiefs have remained unchallenged through the season’s first two weeks.

On Thursday night, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won a close game (27-24) over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mahomes and Justin Herbert each got off to sluggish starts before finding their strides. Mahomes improved on his strong showing from Week 1, completing 24 of 35 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

On the other hand, Herbert threw for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while completing 33 of 48 passes. Keenan Allen wasn’t able to play, but Mike Williams stepped up in a major manner by catching eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. It just wasn’t enough in the end.

The Chiefs made a bold move by kicking a field goal from the Chargers’ 1-yard line to open the fourth quarter, resulting in a 17-17 tie. Fans didn’t have time to second-guess the call because, on the next play, rookie Jaylen Watson picked up Herbert at the 1-yard line and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown, giving the Chiefs the lead for the first time in the game.

While attempting a comeback, Herbert was knocked out for a play due to a chest/rib injury. Upon his return, he didn’t appear to be in the least bit at ease. L.A. was unable to recover the onside kick despite his leading a successful drive that covered 9 plays and 73 yards and culminated with a touchdown pass to Josh Palmer on fourth down.

Why the Chiefs won

The Chiefs’ lackluster start was mitigated by the fact that they never fell too far behind. The Chargers held their own despite seeming like they should have had a much larger first-half deficit to overcome. The Chiefs came out strong in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points from down 14-7 to up 27-14.

The Chiefs lucked out when the Chargers, led by Asante Samuel Jr.’s near picks, failed to come up with a takeaway. There was also a near-fumble on the goal line when Derwin James slammed into Travis Kelce, knocking the ball out of Kelce’s hands, but the play was called back because of contact.

These opportunities for turnovers by the Chiefs could have changed the game’s outcome.

It was a turnover that proved decisive in the end, which brings us to our next point. The Chargers were about to score when Jaylen Watson of the Chiefs intercepted the ball at the Charger’s 99-yard line, resulting in a Chiefs touchdown and the game’s first lead. The Chargers were unable to mount a comeback after falling behind by seven points after another successful field goal.

Why the Chargers lost

For most of the game, the Chargers led, but sadly for them and their fans, that’s not who wins.

They started off strong and looked good, but they never built up much of a lead. A slim advantage is just as good as no lead when facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who are a resilient club that can mount a comeback from any deficit.

The game was decided by the Chargers’ mistakes, including their inability to convert on third down, their near safety, and the pick-six in the second half.

When the teams returned from halftime, the Chiefs were able to chip away at the lead while the Chargers struggled to put together a scoring drive. After getting on the board early in the third quarter with a touchdown, the Chargers were unable to add another score until it was too late.

Herbert was not completely overmatched by Mahomes and performed well under increasing pressure, but an interception can be the difference in a contest between two elite teams.

Turning point

Mahomes threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Justin Watson, starting a run of 20 unanswered points for the Chiefs. This was the spark the Chiefs needed to launch their run after the Chargers had been in control up until that point. Following that score, another Watson scored for the Chiefs; Jaylen Watson’s pick-6 put them ahead to stay.

Play of the game

Jaylen Watson’s 99-yard interception return for a touchdown was the game-changing play of the day. Next Gen Stats reports that the Chiefs’ win probability increased by 54% after Watson’s pick-6 of Herbert, the most gain in win probability on a pick-6 over the past three seasons.

What’s next

On September 25th, the Chiefs will play the Indianapolis Colts. The AFC South team, who is now 0-0-1 after a stalemate against the Houston Texans last week, will host the Chiefs this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Next week, on September 25, the Chargers will welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to SoFi Stadium. In Week 1, the Washington Commanders defeated the Jaguars by 28-22. Their Sunday opponent is the Colts.