Gritty KC Chiefs beat LA Chargers in red-bathed home opener at GEHA Field at Arrowhead
The Chiefs needed a player to make a play with the Los Angeles Chargers knocking on the door in the fourth quarter for a potential go-ahead touchdown in a tie game.
Rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson obliged.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw a pass to tight end Gerald Everett near the end zone. But Watson stepped in front of Everett, picked off the pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.
“Big props to him because, really, that changed the game,” Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi said.
The Chargers answered with their own TD but that was it — Watson’s effort secured the Chiefs’ 27-24 win over their divisional rival at GEHA Stadium at Arrowhead Stadium.
“All in all, a great win,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “For whatever reason, we like to keep it real close with these guys and they’re a heck of a football team. So, glad we came out on the right end of it.”
The early-season showdown between the two AFC West juggernauts did not disappoint in a game that saw momentum swings toward both sides.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes thrilled the crowd with a sidearm throw to running back Jerick McKinnon for a 9-yard touchdown, while Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 334 yards.
The two teams exchanged heavy blows throughout the game, and the Chargers jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind Herbert’s precision passing.
With go-to receiver Keenan Allen inactive with a hamstring injury, Herbert’s favorite target was 6-foot-6 wideout Mike Williams. The Chiefs’ cornerbacks had no answer for Williams, who tormented the Chiefs and finished the game eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets
Mahomes, however, made sure the Chiefs would fight it out against their divisional rival.
After the Chiefs’ first two possessions ended in punts, Mahomes engineered a seven-play, 70-yard drive, which he capped with the touchdown pass through a tight window to McKinnon to make it 10-7.
“With Pat, you’ve just got to stay alive because there’s no telling what he will do,” McKinnon said. “He scrambled around, has great vision and he can throw it from any angle, cross body, sidearm, however you want it. So just staying alive and making sure you stay in his vision, he’ll find a way to find you, and that’s what happened.”
The Chiefs then fell behind 17-7 in the third quarter before Mahomes worked his magic again. Facing a third-and-10 midway through the quarter, Mahomes stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and threw a dart down the field to wide receiver Justin Watson, who got behind Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson for a 41-yard touchdown.
Mahomes finished 24 of 35 for 235 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He was sacked once. He connected with nine different receivers for a second straight game, and tight end Travis Kelce led the group with five catches for 51 yards.
Defensively, Watson stole the show with his pick-6 but the Chiefs received strong performances from multiple defenders.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones totaled three tackles and a team-high two sacks, while linebacker Willie Gay led the Chiefs’ defense in tackles with 11, including two for a loss.
“I thought our defense kept bringing it and bringing it, especially in the second half,” Reid said.
But it still came down to a rookie making a game-changing play when it was needed.
“He made a big play for us that obviously eventually helped us win the game,” Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark said. “That was the tide turn in the game. You watched the momentum change and we held on as a defense to finish it off.”
The Chiefs snapped the Chargers’ two-game winning streak at Arrowhead Stadium and improved to 2-0. The Chargers fell to 1-1, a game behind the Chiefs in the division.
Here’s what else stood out in the Chiefs’ season opener:
TACKLES DO THEIR JOBS
Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and right tackle Andrew Wylie knew they had their work cut out for them against Chargers pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.
For the most part, Brown and Wylie held serve.
Mack split a sack with linebacker Drue Tranquill in the first quarter, but that was it for a Mack, who totaled three sacks by himself in Week 1. Bosa had two quarterback hits in the game, but the Chiefs’ tackles did a good job of ensuring Mack and Bosa would not be much of a factor.
“That’s one of the best pass rushes in the league, so they’re going to win sometimes,” Mahomes said. “But I have to keep trusting the offensive line and I thought they did a good job of battling the entire game and giving me enough time to make the throws when I needed to.”
FENTON STRUGGLES
Cornerback Rashad Fenton has seen some good starts. Thursday night wasn’t one of them.
Fenton drew two pass interference and defensive holding penalties in the first half, both occurring on the Chargers’ scoring drives.
How bad was it?
On the Chargers’ second touchdown drive, Fenton drew two flags on a single play. He was penalized for defensive holding and then drew a flag for pass interference near the goal line against Williams, who hauled in a 39-yard catch. The Chargers declined the penalties and scored two plays later when Herbert connected with fullback Zander Horvath on a 1-yard touchdown pass.
The Chiefs are down starting rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie, who landed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a hamstring injury. Fenton can’t have lapses on the field like he did Thursday with McDuffie expected out for a minimum of four weeks.
EMERGENCY KICKER WORKS OUT
With Harrison Butker (ankle) inactive, the Chiefs elevated kicker Matt Ammendola from their practice squad to handle kicking duties.
Ammendola came through in the emergency role, connecting on two field goals and three extra points.
“I thought I did good,” Ammendola said. “At the end of the day, you’ve just got to step up when your name is called and just kind of go out there and enjoy the moment, just have a good time.”
If Butker’s ankle prevents him from playing in Week 3, the Chiefs should feel comfortable with their temporary solution in Ammendola.
INJURIES
Defensive end Mike Danna suffered a calf injury in the fourth quarter and did not finish the game.
Wide receiver Mecole Hardman briefly left the field in the third quarter. He limped to the trainer’s table, where an athletic trainer re-taped his left foot/ankle area. Hardman was able to return and finished the game with three catches for 49 yards.
Reid said after the game that Justin Watson suffered a shoulder injury while covering an onside kick.
NOT SUITED UP
Butker, running back Ronald Jones, quarterback Shane Buechele, offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive ends Joshua Kaindoh and Malik Herring and linebacker Jack Cochrane were inactive.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs travel to Indianapolis in Week 3 to take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 10:23 PM.
