Chargers dealt one other scar from Patrick Mahomes, AFC West champion Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. And whereas his Houdini acts have sowed anguish throughout the NFL for the higher a part of a decade, no staff has identified this reality extra usually than the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers have the scars to show it.

The Doink is simply the newest wound.

Jim Harbaugh is right here now, and issues are totally different, higher. The Chargers are very probably on their method to a postseason berth. They are a extra constant staff. They are a extra resilient staff. They are a extra aggressive staff. But not even the burden of Harbaugh’s pedigree can cease the inevitable. Not but, not less than.

The Chargers misplaced to the Kansas City Chiefs, 19-17, on Sunday night time at Arrowhead. The Chiefs have clinched their ninth straight AFC West title. They have overwhelmed the Chargers in seven straight video games.

It was Mahomes, with the ball, on the finish. Again.

“Losing on the final drive is irritating,” Chargers security Derwin James Jr. stated. “I’m uninterested in doing it.”

GO DEEPER

Chiefs clinch AFC West title with 19-17 win vs. Chargers: Takeaways

Mahomes and the Chiefs received the ball with 4:35 remaining in regulation, down by one.

They by no means gave it again.

The Chargers had their probabilities. The Chiefs confronted a third-and-10 early within the drive. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter dialed up a blitz. He dropped linebacker Daiyan Henley down the center of the sector to remove tight finish Travis Kelce. Mahomes was in bother. James up the center, powering by way of operating again Samaje Perine. Cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor off the sting. Mahomes regarded to flee left, however there was defensive lineman Morgan Fox crunching the pocket.

Then got here the magic. A leap. An acrobatic launch. And a 14-yard completion to receiver Xavier Worthy.

“We didn’t capitalize on the moments,” Henley stated.

Two performs later, a second-and-8. The Chargers had largely saved Mahomes contained to the pocket for greater than 57 minutes. They had rushed exhausting, they usually had rushed with self-discipline. Mahomes had scrambled one time earlier than this play.

Mahomes took the shotgun snap. The Chargers dropped into man protection, with linebacker Troy Dye spying Mahomes. The two rushers to the offense’s proper aspect, Tuli Tuipulotu and Teair Tart, charged upfield. That created a gap. Mahomes burst by way of the window and sprinted to the sideline. Dye hit Mahomes out of bounds after the quarterback had gained the primary down.

“Looking on the tape,” James stated, “we’re going to be sick to our abdomen.”

Scoop City Newsletter

Free, day by day NFL updates direct to your inbox.

Free, day by day NFL updates direct to your inbox.

Sign Up

Time ticked away. The Chargers used two timeouts to cease the clock. The Chiefs earned a contemporary set of downs after back-to-back rushes from operating again Isiah Pacheco.

The Chargers run protection held agency, stuffing two Kareem Hunt runs. The Chargers used their ultimate timeout after the primary run. The two-minute warning stopped the clock after the second run.

The recreation was within the steadiness. The Chiefs confronted a third-and-7 from the Chargers’ 20-yard line. A cease and the Chiefs can be pressured to kick the go-ahead area with time remaining for Justin Herbert and the all of the sudden potent Chargers offense. A conversion and this night time would come down to 1 ultimate kick.

Mahomes took the under-center snap and faked a handoff earlier than sprinting to his proper on a bootleg. The Chargers dropped right into a Cover 2 zone — two gamers deep and 5 gamers defending the sticks throughout the sector.

As Mahomes received to the numbers, Henley darted from his zone and went for the sack. Mahomes side-stepped Henley. A zone was vacated. Kelce, who had 4 catches for 36 yards earlier than the play, settled into the opening. Mahomes dumped off a move. Kelce caught it.

“I had a shot,” Henley stated. “Took the shot. Got to have the ability to make it.”

First down. Two kneeldowns later, kicker Matthew Wright’s 31-yard area objective clanged off the left upright and in for the winner as time expired.

“You’re hoping for a cease,” heart Bradley Bozeman stated. “You’re hoping for a slip-up on the Chiefs’ half. You’re hoping for one thing. You see the doink, after which it goes the fitting method for them. It’s unlucky, however the ball bounces that method generally.”

With the Chiefs, it feels just like the ball bounces that method on a regular basis.

“When you’re going towards nice offenses, they’re in a position to do issues and make performs once they want performs to be made,” edge rusher Khalil Mack stated. “It’s only a matter of us making the performs after we want them, as nicely.”

The Chargers protection performed a whale of a recreation. As Bozeman stated, “You couldn’t ask for extra.” The unit saved the Chargers in it.

The offense was the larger offender.

The Chargers didn’t rating a degree within the first half. They had a string of three consecutive three-and-outs within the second quarter.

There have been performs to be made, like when receiver Joshua Palmer was extensive open on a publish route on a second down early within the second quarter. Herbert missed him. It ought to have been an 82-yard landing.

“We didn’t execute the way in which we wished to,” Herbert stated. “Pass recreation, run recreation, we weren’t shifting the ball nicely. And in order that’s on us.”

The Chiefs’ 13-0 halftime lead appeared insurmountable, particularly after Herbert sustained a left leg contusion on the second-to-last possession of the primary half. He left the sport for a play however he returned for the ultimate drive. Herbert stated he took a shot to the knee after escaping to his proper on a 3rd down.

“I must be OK,” Herbert stated.

The resilience of the staff confirmed up within the second half. The offense discovered life. The Chargers received the run recreation going. They scored back-to-back touchdowns to open the third quarter. They took the lead within the fourth quarter on a 14-play area objective drive.

“We just about flipped the script within the second half,” Harbaugh stated.

But the first-half dud put the Chargers in too giant a gap. The inevitable was coming.

“We didn’t end the sport, man,” James stated.

Too many mishaps to beat a staff this conversant in profitable.

That included the kickoff after the Chargers’ go-ahead area objective within the fourth quarter. The Chargers tried to pin the Chiefs deep. Cameron Dicker mishit the kick. It didn’t attain the touchdown zone. The Chiefs’ drive began on the 40-yard line. If Dicker had simply blasted the kick by way of the top zone, the Chiefs would have began on the 30. Maybe these 10 yards make the distinction.

“Rare mistake,” Harbaugh stated of Dicker’s kick.

Sure, the Chiefs received the largest bounce of the sport. But the Chargers received their bounces, too. Like a 39-yard move interference penalty on the second landing drive of the third quarter. And returner Derius Davis recovering a muffed punt deep in his personal territory within the second quarter.

Maximizing the helpful bounces is what separates winners from losers on this league.

“We simply received to learn to battle tougher,” Henley stated.

Another 12 months. Another Chiefs sweep. Another Chiefs division title.

Another Chargers scar, courtesy of Mahomes.

“This one hurts,” Harbaugh stated. “We’ll lay down and bleed for a short while. Not lengthy. And then we’ll rise and battle once more.”

(Photo of Patrick Mahomes eluding Daiyan Henley to finish a third-down move: Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images)