Five things that stood out about the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers in KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs miss playoffs at home for first time since Patrick Mahomes arrived.
- Patrick Mahomes left with a left knee injury as Minshew interception sealed season.
- Chiefs offense finished at 4.1 yards per play; running game failed and O-line hindered.
For the first time since Patrick Mahomes arrived in Kansas City, the Chiefs will be staying home for the NFL playoffs.
And Mahomes wasn’t even on the field for the end of the streak.
The Chargers beat the Chiefs 16-13 on Sunday, eliminating whatever small percentage of playoff hopes that Kansas City had remaining.
Mahomes left the field with a left-knee injury and was helped to the locker room — right as backup Gardner Minshew threw an interception to seal the outcome of the game and, in turn, the Chiefs’ season.
The Chiefs later confirmed Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that puts into doubt how and when his 2026 season might begin or unfold.
Here are five observations from immediately afterward:
1. The Patrick Mahomes injury
The short-term consequence leaves the most turbulent Chiefs season in a decade appropriately shy of the playoffs.
The long-term consequences are dubious.
Mahomes left the game with a left-knee injury in the fourth quarter. The fact he remained down and didn’t fight to return suggested it was serious, a suggestion confirmed by the MRI later in the evening.
The Chiefs will finish out the season with three meaningless football games and without their star quarterback even featuring in those games.
Mahomes was hurt as he scrambled to the sideline to avoid a rush — a play indicative of his day at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
An offseason already flush with questions might have added its very biggest: How long before we see Patrick Mahomes back on the field?
2. The interception
In a year chock-full of back-breaking turnovers, one drive before he left with an injury, Mahomes delivered the most inexplicable.
With the Chiefs sitting in field goal range, prepared to pull even in the fourth quarter, Mahomes threw the ball up for grabs at the goal line, hitting Daiyan Henley in stride.
The problem? He’s a linebacker for the Chargers.
The intended receiver on a wheel route? Kareem Hunt.
A running back.
A slow-footed running back.
A slow-footed running back who has one contested catch in the last three seasons combined.
And one who was never even remotely open on his route.
That throw can’t happen from an experienced quarterback — and it’s a particularly surprising one from a quarterback who was trigger-shy on other throws.
3. The turning point
The Chiefs built a double-digit in the first half and had their defense in control of the game.
That changed in less than a minute.
Or, well, about 33 seconds.
There are so many moments this season to which we can point as the reason the Chiefs are 6-8. This ought to be one.
After surrendering a total of just 68 yards on L.A.’s initial four possessions, the Chiefs gave up a long kick return and then allowed the Chargers to march 60 yards in 33 seconds for a touchdown.
The Chargers, who elected to defer on the opening coin-toss, played make-it, take-it and scored 10 points between Chiefs offensive snaps.
That’s your game.
And, in turn, your season.
4. A patchwork OL
A week after losing a left tackle on the opening snap, the Chiefs lost a right tackle on the second snap.
Briefly.
And then yet again.
Jaylon Moore returned after a low block took him out on the opening drive, but he didn’t make it to halftime, leaving the game with a knee injury.
That left the Chiefs’ offensive line featuring three undrafted players — all backups just a week ago — among the five-man unit.
It showed.
But it’s not just about the sacks. It’s the pressure.
Mahomes spent the majority of the game leaving the pocket because of pressure — or because he expected it. He was pressured on 52% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. And that’s despite the Chargers blitzing just once each half.
It’s hard for any passing game to operate under those conditions.
5. Where’s the offense?
I spent much of the year arguing the Chiefs’ offense was better on a down-to-down basis than their record showed.
Yeah, uh, that group is gone.
It was painful to watch this group try to get first downs — long before the Mahomes injury. And I know the offensive line was banged up, but the Chiefs compounded the problem.
They finished with a season-low 4.1 yards per play.
Following their opening touchdown drive, the Chiefs failed to gain more than 10 yards on six of their next seven possessions.
Mahomes spent much of the afternoon under duress — and some of his throws put his receivers under duress. When he had clean pockets, he was trigger-shy. He threw just three of his initial 19 passes even 10 yards down the field.
The running game didn’t help. It is completely inoperable, allowing the Chargers to sit back and play the pass. A return to Isiah Pacheco as the lead running back is a confusing decision. The Chiefs seemed dead-set on giving him the ball, but he finished with just 21 yards on 11 carries, none of them gaining more than seven yards.
This story was originally published December 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM.