INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Two seemingly conflicting things can be true simultaneously, and that is especially the case in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Chargers’ latest loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
On one hand, the Chargers were missing four of their best players, and their starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, was playing at somewhere far below 100 percent. Jim Harbaugh’s team still had a chance to take down the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The Chargers were 3 yards from taking a touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. The game was tied until 6:04 remaining. The effort was commendable, and there are positives to take away.
On the other hand, this game was yet another missed opportunity against Patrick Mahomes. Positive developments do not change the result, a 17-10 defeat. Or that it all unfolded in predictable fashion.
“We rose to the occasion,” edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “But it wasn’t enough.”
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Chiefs pummel Justin Herbert but lose Rashee Rice in 17-10 win: Key takeaways
It was historically predictable in that Mahomes made one more play at the end to push his Chiefs to victory. This time it was evading pressure, stepping up and hitting tight end Noah Gray for a 29-yard gain to put the winning touchdown drive in motion. Like he did in 2022 when he hit tight end Travis Kelce for a touchdown with 37 seconds remaining. Like he did in 2021 when he connected with Kelce for the overtime winner. Like he did in 2020 when he scrambled for 21 yards on third-and-20 to set up a tying field goal late in regulation.
The Chargers have now lost 11 straight home games to the Chiefs.
It was also more specifically predictable to this version of the matchup. The Chargers were without both their starting tackles, Rashawn Slater (pec) and Joe Alt (knee), because of injuries. They started Jamaree Salyer at left tackle. They moved Trey Pipkins III from right guard to right tackle. They started practice squad lineman Sam Mustipher at right guard. And the offensive line struggled.
If the Chargers followed a certain script, they might have been able to function on offense. That script was being efficient on early downs, especially in the run game, and creating advantageous downs and distances. That would have prevented Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo from digging into his big bag of pressure looks. And it would have prevented the Chiefs rushers, namely defensive tackle Chris Jones, from getting ample opportunity to attack the reconfigured Chargers offensive line.
The Chargers lived in the opposite timeline. They could not run the ball, finishing with a 2.3 yards per carry average on 24 carries. They had seven offensive penalties, including four false starts and an illegal formation. As a result, they were behind the sticks on virtually every drive. The Chargers faced an average distance to gain of 10.4 yards on second and third down, according to TruMedia. It was 10.9 yards on just second downs.
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The result: Herbert, hobbling at times on his right high ankle sprain, was hit 10 times and sacked twice. Jones had both sacks. The Chargers could not block him in any phase of the game. On a decisive fourth down from the 3-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Jones beat Mustipher cleanly and moved Herbert off his spot. Mustipher was forced to hold Jones to prevent a huge hit on Herbert. Edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah finished the play by hitting Herbert and creating the incomplete pass.
“Got to get him just a little bit more time,” Harbaugh said of Herbert after the game.
THE CEO STRIKES AGAIN 💪 @StoneColdJones pic.twitter.com/mDry7Ro1m2
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2024
The Chargers were in this game because of an impressive defensive showing. They rushed with discipline, preventing Mahomes from finding escape lanes, both up the middle and to the edge. Coordinator Jesse Minter dialed up opportune pressure looks, including on a third-and-9 sack split between linebacker Troy Dye and nickel; corner Tarheeb Still in the second quarter. They forced two turnovers on the Chiefs’ first two drives.
It really came down to two plays. The Gray completion on the final drive. And the 54-yard touchdown to receiver Xavier Worthy in the second quarter that put the Chiefs on the board. Cornerback Kristian Fulton was beaten on the play.
“He’s a fast guy,” Fulton said. “He just kind of ran past, ran a double move. I got to be better on my end.”
MAHOMES TO WORTHY FOR A 54-YARD TD.
📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ZAYGWXNr1V— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024
The Chargers were without Derwin James Jr., who was suspended. They were without Bosa, who was inactive with a hip injury. They were without starting nickel corner Ja’Sir Taylor, who was inactive with a fibula injury.
They held Mahomes to 17 points or fewer for just the 11th time in his 99 career NFL starts.
“Great performance,” Harbaugh said of the defense.
As Mack said, though: “We weren’t able to hold onto the rope when it mattered the most.”
The missed opportunities stretch to Harbaugh’s game management, as well. Early in the third quarter, Harbaugh challenged a third-and-11 completion from Mahomes to receiver Justin Watson. The challenge failed. Harbaugh lost his first timeout of the second half.
Harbaugh said after the game that he saw the replay on the video board. “Thought the ball had touched the ground, saw one hand come off and the ball touch the ground. Felt like it was a big enough play to challenge,” he said.
Jim Harbaugh made two questionable decisions on challenges in Sunday’s 17-10 loss. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)
The additional motive behind the challenge, according to Harbaugh, was getting the defense “organized.” Harbaugh said the Chargers were having “headset issues” and he was unsure if Minter’s play call was understood by his defensive players.
In the fourth quarter, the Chargers drove deep into Chiefs territory. On a third-and-6 from the Kansas City 7-yard line, Herbert threw a slant to receiver Joshua Palmer. After making the catch, Palmer slid down short of the sticks. He appeared to roll over and gain extra yardage before being touched by a Chiefs player. The referees marked him down at the 3-yard line, 2 yards short of the first down.
Harbaugh said he considered challenging this spot. He did not. As Harbaugh was deciding if he wanted to go for it on fourth down or kick the field goal, the play clock was winding down. He took his second timeout of the second half. He could have also just stopped the clock with a challenge.
“I think I could be better there,” Harbaugh said.
On the next offensive drive, Herbert escaped pressure and threw down the left sideline to running back J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins dropped what would have been an explosive gain. Another missed chance.
“I got to catch the ball,” Dobbins said.
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Then came the Chiefs touchdown drive. After Jones derailed the ensuing Chargers possession with a third-down sack, the Chiefs got the ball with 3:15 remaining. Harbaugh could only stop the clock one time because of his burned timeouts. After the two-minute warning, Mahomes kneeled out the clock.
Harbaugh might have been able to create one more possession if he had the two extra timeouts. Possessions are everything against the Chiefs. Not that it would have mattered given the state of the Chargers’ pass protection. But Herbert never got the chance.
“I wish I could have done better for our guys,” Harbaugh said.
And so the Chargers head into their bye week at 2-2.
Time to heal and get closer to full strength.
Time, too, to digest yet another loss to their division rival, one that felt familiar and predictable.
“Understanding where we want to be, we got to make a big push,” Mack said. “We can’t really think about this as a bye week. We got to think about it as a work week.”
(Top photo of Justin Herbert being sacked by Chris Jones and Felix Anudike-Uzomah: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
