The Chiefs could do no wrong Sunday against the Cardinals. They are facing better competition Thursday.
Kansas City punted on its first two possessions. The Chargers scored on their first two.
The Chargers took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter before the Chiefs finally scored. Patrick Mahomes bought time before hitting running Jerick McKinnon for an easy 9-yard touchdown pass. (Or he made the sidearm throw look easy, put it that way.)
That reduced the Chiefs’ deficit to 10-7.
Los Angeles settled for a red-zone field goal after reaching the Chiefs 13 on its first possession. Brandon Staley surprisingly decided to trot out Dustin Hopkins for a 31-yard field goal rather than go for it on fourth-and-two.
The Chargers did convert a fourth-and-short on its second drive and drove 58 yards in eight plays. Justin Herbert found fullback Zander Horvath wide open for a 1-yard score on the first play of the second quarter.
Herbert is 9-of-12 for 97 yards and a touchdown. Mahomes is 8-of-9 for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Mahomes’ touchdown pass was his 1,588th career completion, moving him past Alex Smith (1,587) for the third-most completions in franchise history.