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| Photo Credit: AP. |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In a showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers, two of the league’s best teams led by two of the game’s bright young quarterbacks, an unheralded seventh-round draft pick who a few years ago was working alongside his mother in a Wendy’s restaurant stole the show.
The Chiefs’
Jaylen Watson picked off Justin Herbert at the goal line early in the fourth
quarter Thursday night, headed the other way and was never touched on a 99-yard
go-ahead touchdown that propelled Kansas City to a 27-24 victory.
“I don’t
even remember what happened at that moment,” Watson said later. “It’s all so
surreal.”
Chiefs
quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 235 yards with TD passes to Jerick
McKinnon and Justin Watson, and fill-in kicker Matt Ammendola was perfect in
place of injured Harrison Butker. But it was the Chiefs’ defense, and Watson’s
highlight-reel interception, that allowed Kansas City (2-0) to overcome its
early problems in an early divisional test.
“The thing that I’m most proud of,” Chiefs
coach Andy Reid said, “is that we stuck together. Nobody pointed any fingers.”
Two series
after Watson’s go-ahead touchdown, things got even worse for the Chargers (1-1)
when Herbert was drilled by defensive end Mike Danna while delivering a throw.
He left the field clutching his side, returned one play later, then threw an
incompletion that forced the Chargers to punt while trailing 24-17.
Clyde
Edwards-Helaire promptly split the defense on a 52-yard run to set up a field
goal for Kansas City.
Herbert, who
finished with 334 yards and three touchdown passes, gamely tried to keep the
Chargers alive. He threw a 36-yard dart on fourth down to extend their ensuing
possession, then hit Joshua Palmer in the back of the end zone on
fourth-and-goal to pull Los Angeles within 27-24 with just over a minute to go.
Kansas City
recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to end the game.
“You’re not
going to see a quarterback in any level of football play tougher and do more
for his team and will his team and give them a chance than him,” Chargers coach
Brandon Staley said of Herbert, who was getting X-rays and wasn’t available
after the game. “There’s nobody who can do what he can do. Nobody. He showed a
lot of guts. He showed what he shows us every day, that we’re never out of the
fight. He brought us back and gave us a chance.”
The highly
anticipated showdown between two of the league’s most prolific quarterbacks,
each surrounded by premier playmakers, turned out early on to be a defensive
slugfest.
The Chargers
held the Chiefs to 13 yards in the first quarter, thanks to relentless pressure
from Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and the fact that Derwin James Jr. was just
about everywhere, and kept a team that scored 44 points last week in Arizona
off the scoreboard until Mahomes slung a sidearm pass to McKinnon early in the
second quarter.
The Chargers
fared better offensively, even though Staley opted to play conservatively,
twice punting on fourth-and-2 near midfield. Dustin Hopkins kicked an early
field goal before Mike Williams, dominating smaller Chiefs defensive backs, put
the Chargers in position for Zander Horvath to catch a short TD pass.
Staley
finally went for it on fourth down on the opening drive of the second half. And
one play after Austin Ekeler picked it up, Williams made a one-handed grab
around Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to give the Chargers a 17-7 lead.
The game
appeared to be getting away from the Chiefs when Mahomes was intercepted by
Asante Samuel Jr. on their next possession. But replays showed Samuel didn’t
control the ball and the call was overturned, and Mahomes capitalized on his
second chance by throwing a 41-yard strike to Justin Watson for a touchdown.
The Chiefs
tied it 17-all on the first play of the fourth quarter when Ammendola, who was
signed earlier this week, knocked through a chip shot on fourth down at the
goal line.
That set up
Jaylen Watson’s pick-6 and the first lead Kansas City had all night.
“This is
what it’s going to be. We know we’re playing in the toughest division,” Chiefs
safety Justin Reid said. “We know we’re going to get everyone’s best shot. We
have to come out and we have to perform.”
The game was
the first in the $13 billion, 11-year deal between the NFL and Amazon Prime to
exclusively stream Thursday night games. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joined NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell on the sideline before kickoff.
Chargers C
Corey Linsley (knee) and RT Trey Pipkins III (ankle) left in the third quarter.
... Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman hurt his ankle in the third quarter but returned
to the game. ... Danna left in the fourth quarter with a calf injury.
The Chargers
return home to face Jacksonville on Sept. 25. The Chiefs visit Indianapolis the
same day.
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