Th Chargers overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to shock (pun intended) the Kansas City Chiefs 29-28 on Thursday night, clinching a playoff berth and creating a virtual tie atop the AFC West. It was a wild finish. Philip Rivers tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Mike Williams — the second-year receiver’s third score of the night — put the Chargers in position to win with only 4 seconds remaining. Rivers then hit Williams for the two-point conversion and a stunning victory. It was a great play call by Ken Whisenhunt, as the Chiefs get confused and failed to guard Mike Williams, who catches the ball all alone for the game winning two-point conversion. Chargers win 29-28, clinch first playoff berth since 2013. Amazing win for this team Chargers team that never seem to give up.
“This was big. Here or at home, whatever,” Rivers said. “We needed to beat these guys.”
Despite the loss, which snapped Kansas City’s nine-game win streak against the Chargers, the Chiefs technically remain in first place by virtue of a superior division record and retain the inside track for home-field advantage in the AFC.
Here are the three main things we learned from the last Thursday night game of the year:
Just enough Charger Power: It was a remarkable performance by the Chargers given how hamstrung they were. Rivers was picked off twice, nearly threw a third interception and seemed to struggle in the Arrowhead winds. It didn’t help that he was stripped of perhaps his three primary weapons. Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler, the team’s top two running backs, were inactive. No. 1 WR Keenan Allen missed most of the game after falling awkwardly on his hip in the end zone in the first half. But Rivers and Co. rallied late. He finished with 313 yards and two TD passes. Williams, a first-round pick in 2017 who had a washout rookie year, turned in a signature performance with two receiving TDs and another on the ground.”We didn’t come here to tie. We came here to win. So to me it was a no-brainer,” said Lynn, whose team became the first since Minnesota in Week 15 of the 2002 season to win with a 2-point conversion in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
Thanks too a very loud Kansas City home crowd, the Chiefs appeared to be in good shape most of the night. Patrick Mahomes extended his league-leading TD pass total to 45 and Pro Bowler Eric Berry returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a blown Achilles in the 2017 regular-season opener. But in the end, the Chiefs served a fresh reminder that they struggle to win the big games at Arrowhead Stadium, where they’re hoping to play in January. Kansas City has lost six playoff games in a row there, dating back to the 1995 season, and showed everyone Thursday that they could be flawed. Without Kareem Hunt, the run game produced just 60 yards. Then the defense folded down the stretch, including an obvious pass interference penalty in the end zone that set up the winning score.
FINAL: The @Chargers defeat the Chiefs to improve to 11-3! #LACvsKC#FightForEachOther
(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/QiaRVk6nEN
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2018
