Justin Herbert, Chargers lose to Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs in OT

INGLEWOOD — The Chargers’ blueprint for however to bushed the Kansas City Chiefs is to beryllium assertive connected 4th down, make takeaways and don’t fto backmost Patrick Mahomes person the shot last.

The Chargers struggled to execute Coach Brandon Staley’s blueprint connected Thursday nighttime astatine SoFi Stadium and had to sweat retired the last 25 seconds of regularisation with Mahomes holding the shot and the people tied.

But 4 quarters wasn’t capable to determine a thrilling back-and-forth conflict betwixt Chargers backmost Justin Herbert and Mahomes.

Herbert amazed the Chiefs past play erstwhile helium made his NFL debut with a minute’s announcement astatine SoFi Stadium. The Chargers and Herbert took the Chiefs to overtime again this time, but the results were the same.

The Chiefs defeated the Chargers, 34-28, successful overtime aft choky extremity Travis Kelce pulled successful Mahomes’ first-down walk adjacent the 30-yard enactment and eluded 3 tackles en way to the extremity zone, wherever helium was swarmed by teammates pursuing his game-winning 34-yard touchdown.

The blueprint for however to bushed the Chiefs went 1-1 successful the regular season, but the adjacent battles proved that the Chargers aren’t acold from the Chiefs, the five-time defending AFC West champions.

“We expect to play the Chiefs 3 times this year,” Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said.

The Chargers dropped to 8-6 and fell 2 games down the Chiefs (10-4) successful the AFC West standings with 3 games near successful the regular season. Perhaps the part rubric is retired of reach, but the Chargers are successful bully presumption to marque the postseason and perchance marque Harris’ privation of facing the Chiefs again travel true.

Mahomes displayed his accustomed magic with cardinal throws connected 3rd down and timely scrambles to necktie the people with 1:16 near past prevail successful overtime. Mahomes finished 31-of-47 for 410 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Kelce had 10 catches for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill contributed 12 catches for 148 yards and 1 touchdown.

“You’re not going to bushed that squad if those 3 person performances similar that,” Staley said astir the Chiefs’ standout trio.

Herbert threw an 8-yard touchdown walk to wide receiver Keenan Allen to instrumentality a 28-21 pb with 2:19 near successful regulation. It didn’t instrumentality Mahomes agelong to link with Kelce for a 7-yard touchdown to necktie the people astatine 28-28 with 1:16 near successful regulation.

Staley refused to alteration his assertive approach, contempt his squad failing connected 4th down aggregate times Thursday night. The Chargers went 2-of-5 connected 4th downs.

“That’s the mode we’re going to play astir here,” Staley said astir the assertive approach. “That’s the mode we’re going to play. When you person a backmost similar ours, and we person an discourtesy similar ours, that’s the mode we’re going to play due to the fact that that’s however you request to play against Kansas City.”

The Chargers were capable to get the champion of the Chiefs successful Week 3 due to the fact that of fourth-down conversions and takeaways. The fourth-down plays weren’t moving this time, but the defence did its portion successful executing the crippled program for however to bushed the Chiefs.

Chargers borderline rusher Uchenna Nwosu had a momentum-changing interception aft helium tipped the shot to himself astatine the Chiefs’ 2-yard line. Chargers moving backmost Austin Ekeler followed that with a 2-yard touchdown tally to springiness his squad a 21-13 pb with 9:29 near successful the 4th quarter.

The Chiefs rapidly answered aft Kelce took disconnected for a 69-yard drawback and Hill scored connected a 1-yard touchdown. Running backmost Clyde Edwards-Helaire converted the 2-point conversion connected a walk from Mahomes to knot the people astatine 21-21 with 4:24 left.

The Chargers had aggregate opportunities to widen their 14-13 lead, but they had costly failed 4th downs that near points connected the field.

“Obviously, we gotta find ways to get points connected 4th downs going forward,” Allen said. “I similar it erstwhile again. Got to travel up with those plays. The plays are there.”

Herbert finished 22 of 38 for 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown and 1 interception. Allen has six catches for 78 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Chiefs had their ain fourth-down setback erstwhile Mahomes overthrew a walk intended for Mecole Hardman successful the extremity portion connected fourth-and-1 from the Chargers’ 2-yard enactment to stay behind, 14-13.

After falling down 10-0, the Chargers leaned connected their moving crippled with a premix of dazzling throws from Herbert to retake the pb precocious successful the 2nd quarter. Herbert avoided erstwhile teammate and Chiefs walk rusher Melvin Ingram with a pump fake and released a 4-yard touchdown onslaught to wide receiver Jalen Guyton portion fading distant to springiness the Chargers a 14-10 pb with 3:15 near successful the 2nd quarter.

Herbert chopped the Chiefs’ pb to 10-7 aft moving for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:12 near successful the 2nd quarter. Allen kept the play live with a 15-yard reception connected a third-and-2 from the Kansas City 20-yard line.

Mahomes recovered his bushed aboriginal by getting chunks of yardage connected surface plays during the Chiefs’ archetypal drive. Fullback Michael Burton capped an 11-play, 95-yard march with a 7-yard touchdown tally connected a third-and-1.

Kicker Harrison Butker made a 30-yard tract extremity to widen the Chiefs’ pb to 10-0 conscionable 12 seconds into the 2nd quarter.

It was a thrilling crippled with galore highs and lows for the part rivals. Chiefs information Tyrann Mathieu tweeted aft the crippled that the Chargers person a bully happening going.

The Chargers couldn’t capitalize connected the aureate accidental to instrumentality archetypal spot successful the division, but astatine slightest they gained respect from the mighty Chiefs.

Staley’s assertive blueprint increases the Chargers’ likelihood of beating the Chiefs. It conscionable wasn’t their nighttime connected Thursday.