The Chargers once again suffered a last-second loss to the Chiefs as Kansas City clinched the AFC West for the ninth straight season.
The Chiefs started the game with a field goal on their first drive to jump to an early lead. The rest of the first quarter was slow, with both punters going back and forth until the Chiefs scored another field goal at the beginning of the second quarter. Kansas City extended their lead to 13-0 after Patrick Mahomes connected with DeAndre Hopkins for six. It was ugly, but the Chiefs were up big and the Chargers’ offense couldn’t move the ball whatsoever.
The Second half was a different story. The Chargers quickly put points on the board with a short run by Gus Edwards punching it in the end zone. Then, Los Angeles struck again with Quentin Johnston adding to his touchdown total as the Chargers took a lead. Kansas City retook the lead with another field goal, but Cameron Dicker and the Bolts answered right back to maintain a one-point lead.
Of course, everyone knows at this point that one point is not enough to put away the two-time reigning champs. The Chiefs ran the ball down the field along with the clock, Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a first down, and kicker Matthew Wright doinked the game-winner as the clock ran down.
This game proved more than anything that the Chargers are not yet where they want to be. The season was supposed to be a transition year as Jim Harbaugh – with the help of Joe Hortiz – constructed a team that plays football the way he coaches football. Most notably, the interior offensive line is subpar and the run defense isn’t what it could be.
If Harbaugh could bolster those position groups and run his type of football, this Chargers team could be elite. However, that hasn’t happened yet, and the Bolts cannot run the ball or stop the run at the level they want to be able to do so. Jim Harbaugh wins in the trenches, and this roster isn’t far enough removed from the Brandon Staley era to be able to do so.
With that being said, the fact that this is a Chargers offense built to have Herbert air it out while they try to be a running offense is not a recipe for success. If the Bolts fill out the wall in the front, the offense could be as strong as ever.
The other biggest takeaway from this game is that the Chiefs truly find a way to win. If they’re down in the fourth quarter, they can’t be counted out. They pull out a win with their opponent taking a chip shot field goal for the win. Their opponent could snap the ball into the quarterback’s chest. They could win when their game-winning field goal hits the left upright because it still finds its way inside.
This isn’t even the Chiefs at full strength. They’re getting Marquise Hollywood Brown back before the playoffs and Rashee Rice isn’t confirmed to be out until next year. On top of that, this team is full of playoff risers who are sure to perform their best late in the winter. If there has ever been an NFL team to pull off a three-peat, the stars may have aligned in Kansas City, Missouri.
Moving forward, the Chargers have to know that Ladd McConkey needs help. Without McConkey, the Bolts’ offense couldn’t get it going until Stone Smartt made some big grabs. It was only until then that the whole field began to open up for other options and the run game. That help could come in many ways. They could go after a free agent like Tee Higgins or make a big trade for a guy of David Njoku’s caliber.
An upgrade would be acquiring Darius Slayton or taking a skill player in the first few days of the 2025 draft. A team constructed the way Jim Harbaugh wants this team to be constructed doesn’t need a receiver duo like Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins or Jaylen Waddle & Tyreek Hill, but they do need players to create space in the pass game and stretch the field to run the ball.
Most importantly, the Chargers’ playoff odds are not much affected by this loss. They are still 8-5 and should be able to get at least three more wins, which would put them right up there around the fifth or sixth seed in the AFC. Another loss against Kansas City isn’t good for morale, but it doesn’t change whether the Chargers will be playing in January.