Chargers miss opportunity to rise to top of AFC West with fourth failure – Los Angeles Chargers blog

INGLEWOOD, CA – The Los Angeles Chargers won Thursday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at least three times – maybe more. But three times within the 5-yard line of Kansas City – twice in the fourth terrain and once in a fumble – they failed to convert.

And when they finally got lucky – linebacker Uchenna Nwosu hit the feeds of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a cut from the Kansas City 4-yard line and then after the game runner Austin Ekeler scored the goal. still unable to put the Chiefs away with a 34-28 loss in overtime.

The Chargers (8-6) are now behind the Chiefs (10-4) in the AFC West standings with two matches, three of which are left. A win on Thursday would have given Chargers a season beat from the Chiefs and tiebreaker.

“I feel really comfortable with these decisions,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said he was going fourth. “That’s the way we’re going to play here. That’s the way we’re going to play. With a quarterback like us, we’re going to play this way.”

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was good – scoring 236 yards and two touchdowns on a 22/38 pass with a break, but Mahomes was better – 31/47 410 yards on three TDs, including a 34-yard touchdown for tight Travis Kelce. extended.

“I think we played well,” said Chargers receiver Keenan Allen. “Obviously, we need to find a way to get points … I like it.”

By numbers: The Chiefs stopped Chargers in the fourth third – and twice inside the fifth. While ESPN’s win probability model favored it every time, failures increased. The last 49 teams that have produced at least three counts have now been lost. The last team to win after being stopped in the counts three times in one game was the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 in 2015.

Add with numbers: Herbert found the recipient in Keenan Allen’s 8-yard touchdown at 2:19, with Chargers momentarily taking the 28-21 lead. Herbert now has seven fed-up touchdowns in the fourth quarter, when this season is steady or behind by eight or less. It is the most quarterback since Raiders ’Derek Carr in 2016 (8).