Chargers-Chiefs Final Score: Los Angeles Chargers Lose to the Kansas City Chiefs 13-30

1st Quarter

The Los Angeles Chargers opened the game on offense and actually appeared to be moving the ball well to start. Hunter Henry got involved immediately. Travis Benjamin had a nice run. Melvin Gordon showed the ability to stay on his feet and get upfield early. Then, a Gordon run was stuffed. Keenan Allen couldn’t get both feet in bounds. Then on 3rd down, Rivers didn’t see a free rusher up the middle and took a sack. Austin Ekeler probably should have picked up the blitzer. The drive ended in a punt.

Melvin Ingram showed up early with a tipped pass. Denzel Perryman blew up a running play. Then, the defense contained Alex Smith on 3rd down to force a punt.

The Chargers had a nice 5-yard run on 1st down. They took a shot to Tyrell Williams (which he dropped) on 2nd. On 3rd, Rivers missed Williams open underneath and overthrew Gates on an intermediate route where he was not open. On the punt, the returner muffed it, but the Chiefs were lucky to recover at the ball at about their own 5.

After starting inside their own 10, the Chiefs put together a long drive in which they were able to run with ease against the Chargers dime personnel package. On 3rd & 21, Gus Bradley gave the Chiefs far too much room to work with and they got enough yards to justify going for it on 4th down which they converted. Once in the red zone, the defense was able to hold strong, however, and eventually forced a short field goal attempt that Harrison Butker turned into 3 points.

2nd Quarter

Gordon looked good on his next carry going for 5 yards. Allen tacked on 11. Gordon rushed for another 6 but then got stopped for no gain. On 3rd down, Rivers stood tall against an oncoming rusher and found Henry for a 1st. Allen got open for another 1st down. Then, Rivers was sacked and they could not make up the lost yardage on the next two plays. On punt coverage, Ekeler stepped in the end zone to give the Chiefs a touchback.

The defense looked like it might force a three-and-out but then Hill got ope deep for a 64-yard touchdown.

A 21-yard gain on a dump off to Melvin Gordon got the offense moving again. Ekeler then picked up a nice gain on a beautiful misdirection play. A defensive pass interference penalty moved the sticks. Travis Benjamin injured Joe Barksdale by stepping on his leg. On the next play, Tyrell Williams picked up 18 on a short pass. Gordon followed it up with an 11-yard catch and run. On 1st and goal, Gordon was tackled for a loss at the 6. On 2nd down, he got it back and a couple more. On 3rd down, Kenny Wiggins bullied Chris Jones and Gordon followed him in for 6. Travis Coons missed the extra point.

Inside of two minutes but with all three timeouts, the Chiefs offense moved the ball at will against a very soft Chargers defense. Gus Bradley was content to let the Chiefs have anything and everything they wanted underneath. The Chiefs happily accepted that invitation. Lynn called a timeout prior to Butker’s field goal attempt. He made it. On the re-kick, he missed.

With 7 seconds left on the clock, the Chargers picked up enough yardage to take a shot at the end zone with time expiring. Travis Kelce batted it down to send the game to halftime.

3rd Quarter

Kareem Hunt rushed up the middle for an easy 13 yard gain to start the second half. Bosa stopped him after a short gain on the next play, however, and after a six-yarder to Hill and an incomplete pass, the Chiefs punting unit took the field.

Rivers threw a short pass to Gordon who cut it back and ran to daylight. He picked up 49 yards before the turf monster got him. Henry added 14 yards. Allen tacked on 15 more. Then Antonio Gates ran away from Derrick Johnson in the end zone and Rivers hit him for the score.

With Denzel Perryman out, the Chiefs went to Kareem Hunt over and over again. They drove down the field at will and eventually, Smith found Hunt for an easy score. The drive was 12 plays and took over 7 minutes off the clock.

Two plays into the Chargers’ drive, Rivers was picked off by Marcus Peters who returned the ball to the Chargers’ 5.

The defense came up huge by forcing a field goal (with an assist from a review that went against the Chiefs on a would-be touchdown reception by Hunt).

4th Quarter

A short run by Gordon and a 7-yard reception by Allen set up 3rd & 1. Ekeler had the yards to gain but allowed the ball to be stripped. The Chiefs recovered. On the play, Henry appeared to be injured.

Hunt ripped off runs of 9 and 7 yards, but then the offense sputtered out and Butker had to attempt a 51-yard field goal which he made.

Sam Tevi got the next drive started with a false start. The Chargers actually moved the ball for a while but after Travis Benjamin couldn’t fight for a 1st down on 3rd down the Chargers went for it on 4th and Rivers had to throw up a prayer that was intercepted.

The Chiefs just went back to running the ball with Hunt (and occasionally Charcandrick West). The Chargers could not stop them and struggled to slow them down. Hunt eventually punched it into the end zone to put the game away.

At this point, the Chiefs were content to just avoid giving up a big play and let the Chargers dink and dunk down the field. Eventually, Rivers was intercepted again anyway.