Both Mahomes and Justin Herbert got off to slow starts, but eventually found their respective rhythms. Mahomes built on his impressive performance in Week 1, 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, catching eight passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. In the end, it wasn’t enough. The Chiefs made an interesting decision to punt at 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 rookie Jaylen Watson picked off Herbert at the 1-yard line on the next drive and returned it 99 yards 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 came back, he didn’t look comfortable at all. It still led to a nine-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a pass to Josh Palmer on fourth-and-goal, but Los Angeles couldn’t recover the onside kick.
Why the Chiefs won
The Chiefs didn’t get off to a strong start, but managed to never fall too far behind even when struggling. In the first half it looked like the Chargers should have a bigger lead, but they did a good job of hanging on to it. The momentum shifted in the second half with 20 unanswered points from the Chiefs leading them from 14-7 down to a 27-14 lead. The Chiefs got lucky with some close interceptions by the Chargers, especially by Asante Samuel Jr., that didn’t lead to a takeaway. They almost had a goal line drive as well, with the ball coming out of Travis Kelce’s hands after a body slam by Derwin James, but it was ruled out by contact. If any of those near turnovers ended up being actual Chiefs turnovers, that could have been a different story. Speaking of turnovers, it was finally a turnover that made the difference. The Chargers were pounding on the door of the end zone, but a 99-yard pick-6 by Chiefs Jaylen Watson ended up giving Kansas City its first lead of the game. Another three points sealed the deal and the Chargers had no time to catch up.
Because the Chargers lost
The Chargers had the lead for most of the game, but unfortunately for them and their fans, it’s not the one who has the lead most of the time. Despite coming out strong and impressive in the first half, they never built much of a lead. When it comes to playing Mahomes and the Chiefs, a close lead is as good as no lead, because they are a team that knows how to come back. The Chargers’ mistakes, like scrambling on third down, giving Mahomes and Co. good field position after a near safety in the second half, and pick 6 was the difference. The second half was a different story than the first as the Chiefs chipped away at the lead while the Chargers failed to get a score going. The Chargers scored a touchdown early in the third quarter and didn’t score again until it was too late. Herbert wasn’t overpowered by Mahomes and held his own as the pressure mounted, but in a matchup of two elite teams, sometimes an interception makes all the difference.
Turning point
The Chiefs’ second touchdown of the day was a 41-yard pass from Justin Watson to Mahomes that started their 20-point scoring drive. By then, the Chargers were in control and the Chiefs looked like they needed a spark and this was just that spark to get them going. The next touchdown was also by a Watson — Jaylen Watson — whose pick 6 gave the Chiefs the lead for good.
The game of the game
The undisputed play of the game was Jaylen Watson’s 99-yard pick-6. According to Next Gen Stats, “The Chiefs’ win probability jumped from 31% to 85% as a result of Herbert’s pick 6 over Watson, a 54% increase, the largest swing in win probability on a pick 6 in the past three seasons. “ Check out the long interception return:
What’s next
Next up for the Chiefs is the Indianapolis Colts on September 25th. The Chiefs will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face an AFC South team that is currently 0-0-1 and begins the weekend after tying the Houston Texans . The Chargers will host the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 25th at SoFi Stadium. The Jaguars lost 28-22 to the Washington Commanders in Week 1. They face the Colts on Sunday.
