Their recent lose to the Kansas City Chiefs has really put a dent into future playoff plans. No one expected the Chiefs to put up a fight since their 0 – 3 start. However, they did and become the first team in NFL history to own at least part of the divisional lead after the next four games. Their 23 – 20 overtime win was an example of how much you can accomplish when you refuse to give up. It was an ugly game on both sides, but the Chiefs took advantage of a late fumble to force overtime and jump into a 3-way tie for the division lead.
The Chiefs had a great start to the game with a 36-yard field goal by Ryan Succop and a 39-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassell to rookie Jonathan Baldwin. The touchdown came on the 2nd interception in the 1st quarter by Charger quarterback Phillip Rivers.
Nick Novak started the scoring in the second quarter with a 44-yard field goal. However, he missed a 32-yard attempt with just over a minute left in the first half. This allowed the Chiefs to move the ball 29 yards on 6 plays. The result was a 47-yard field goal from Succop and a 13 – 3 Kansas City lead at the half.
The defense stepped up in the 3rd quarter and held Kansas City to two drives of just three plays each. Those drives sandwiched another that ended with a Cassell interception. While the defense kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard, the offense put 3 field goals on the board. They were 44, 42 and 26 yards each. Although each drive ended with points, it was the Chargers inability to reach the end zone that would end up costing them.
The Chiefs put together a 10 play drive that went for 74 yards to start the 4th quarter. Running back Jackie Battle scored from the 1 yard line to give the Chiefs a 20 – 12 lead with 12:01 left in the game. However, the Chargers responded with their own drive of 74 yards which resulted in a Curtis Brinkley 2 yard touchdown run. The 2 point conversion by Brinkley tied the score at 20 – 20.
With 4:11 left in the game, San Diego started a 9 play drive that took them inside the red zone for what was expected to be a game winning field goal.
There is a reason people frequently use the phrase “it ain’t over til it’s over” when it comes to athletic events. Sometimes, when the odds are stacked against you, strange things happen. This time, the Chiefs were able to prove that point.
They had a first down at the 15 yard line of Kansas City. They were well within field goal range and the Chiefs were out of timeouts. All they needed to do was run a couple of plays and kick an easy field goal for the win and the outright division lead. However, Rivers fumbled the snap and Kansas City linebacker Andy Studebaker recovered the fumble.
San Diego won the coin flip, however they were unable to move the ball. The Chiefs then put together a 14 play drive that went for 69 yards. It resulted in Kansas City’s Kicker Succop scoring a 30-yard field goal for the game winner. Both teams are now tied with the Oakland Raiders at the top of the crowded AFC West division race. Lets hope that they can put something together and put on a better show. Purchase your Chargers tickets now and support your team.
