The Kansas City Chiefs take control of the AFC West with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers

The defenses were protagonists in the division game, but in the end Mahomes and the Chiefs found the way

KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 on Thursday night when Patrick Mahomes He completed 24 of 35 passes for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns to beat Justin Herbert.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Jaylen Watson seemed almost like an afterthought when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him as their third cornerback after taking him in the seventh round this year. He is already a crucial player for the Chiefs.

Since the owner Trent McDuffie Going on injured reserve this week, Jaylen Watson played and delivered the Chiefs’ biggest play in what would eventually be their biggest win of the season. Watson intercepted a pass from Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the fourth quarter and returned it 99 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The Chiefs defeated their AFC West rivals 27-24.

When the Chargers got the play from the Chiefs three-yard line, they had a 73% chance of winning, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That probability jumped to 81% for the Chiefs after Watson’s pick-six.

Great victory: The Chiefs (2-0) are the only team in the AFC West without losing, giving them an early lead in the standings.

Featured performance: wide receiver Justin Watson caught a 41-yard touchdown pass and another ball as he passed the rookie Skyy Moore. Watson worked well with Patrick Mahomes during training camp, so his play isn’t a surprise. He was most effective during camp in the red zone, where he put his 6-foot-2, 215-pound size to good use. Watson should play longer as long as he’s the fourth wide receiver, which he clearly was on Thursday night.

2 related

Worrying trend: The Chiefs’ short-yardage offense struggled. They went 1 for 5 on third and three or less. These problems led coach Andy Reid to call a field goal on fourth and 1-yard goal in the fourth quarter with the Chiefs trailing 17-14. –Adam Teicher

Understated stat: eight different Chiefs players had at least two catches, matching the most in a game in the Patrick Mahomes era (since 2018). It’s the second time Kansas City has done that in that span. The first also came against the Chargers, in Week 3 of last season in Kansas City.

next game: at Colts (noon, Sept. 25)

Jaylen Watson had a 99-yard pic-six to turn the game around and lead the Chiefs to victory. Getty

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Inside a raucous Arrowhead Stadium, a playoff atmosphere in a Week 2 matchup, the Los Angeles Chargers were reminded that despite an offseason of star acquisitions, there is still work to be done to wrest the AFC West from the six-time defending champion Kansas City. The Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit and defeated the Chargers, 27-24, on Thursday night.

Entering the season, the Chargers knew their improved roster, which now features All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack and Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jacksonhe would test himself fast, playing back-to-back division games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs in a span of five days.

They went 1-1 and now have an early indicator of what they need to improve on to win a division title or, at the very least, get out of the overwhelming AFC West.

Basic play: with 10:43 remaining, the score tied 17-17 and the Chargers driving to the Chiefs 3-yard line, quarterback Justin Herbert took a shot at the tight end Gerald Everett and was intercepted by rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson, who returned the interception 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game, 24-17. On the previous play, Everett gained 26 yards for the first and goal. But the pick-six illustrated the rapport problems between Herbert and Everett during training camp. The Bolts signed Everett during the offseason to a two-year, $12 million deal.

Promising trend: wide receiver productivity Mike Williams. After a quiet performance in Week 1 (2 receptions for 10 yards), and with Keenan Allen Inactive due to a hamstring injury, Williams took a big step forward. In the first half, Williams caught a 39-yard pass to set up a touchdown that gave the Chargers a 10-0 lead. Williams then made a circus touchdown play by diving and catching one-handed for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Chargers up 17-7. The touchdown catch was only a 31% chance, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and it was the second one-handed touchdown catch in Williams’ six-year career, finishing with eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Surprising stat: The noob Zander Horvath he caught a one-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to put the Bolts up 10-0. A seventh-round pick out of Purdue, Horvath also had a 1-yard touchdown reception in the Week 1, 24-19 victory over the Raiders. Horvath becomes the first seventh-round pick to catch a touchdown pass in each of his first two career games since Chansi Stuckey for the Jets in 2008. –Lindsey Thiry

Understated stat: Justin Herbert’s pick-six was weird. He is the only pick-six of this century who arrived in the red zone, in a tied game in the fourth quarter.

Next game: vs. Jaguars (3:05 p.m., September 25)