Chargers rally past Chiefs 29-28, clinch playoff berth
Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers drew on his experience to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 29-28 comeback road victory here over the Kansas City Chiefs and a berth in the National Football League ‘s playoffs.
The Chiefs raced out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter in Week 15 action Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium thanks to a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback Patrick Mahomes II , one to Demarcus Robinson for five yards and a second to Darrel Williams for 11 yards.
Rivers narrowed the gap to seven points with a three-yard TD pass to Mike Williams in the second quarter.
The offenses remained dominant in the second half, as the Chiefs scored two more touchdowns, both of them scored by running back Damien Williams, and the Chargers answered with one through the midway point of the fourth quarter.
Trailing 28-14 with 8:15 remaining on the clock, Rivers led his team on two long scoring drives - one for 72 yards that concluded with a three-yard touchdown run by Justin Jackson and another for 61 yards that ended with a one-yard TD pass from Rivers to Williams.
After that last touchdown, the Chargers opted to go for the dramatic win rather than kick the extra point and take the game to overtime.
The risky move paid off as Rivers once again found Williams - who had been left wide open in the end zone - to complete the two-point conversion and give the Chargers a 29-28 victory.
The 37-year-old quarterback ended the game with 313 passing yards and a QB rating of 89. He threw two interceptions - one on a pass to the end zone in the second quarter - and was sacked five times.
Mahomes threw for 243 yards and ended the game with a 110.3 QB rating.
With the win, the Chargers snapped a nine-game losing skid against the Chiefs and clinched a playoff berth.
The Chiefs also have clinched a playoff spot.
Both teams are now 11-3 and are tied for first in the American Football Conference’s West division and also are tied for the best record overall in the AFC.
