KANSAS CITY, MO — Andy Reid won’t have to schedule a stress test anytime soon. I think I get it once a week.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ coach watched his third-string kicker hit a 31-yard field goal from the left upright to seal the victory that secured the Chiefs’ ninth straight AFC West title.
Over the past two seasons, the Chiefs have won 15 straight one-score games.
Patrick Mahomes led the two-time defending Super Bowl champions (12-1) on a clock-killing 4 1/2-minute drive to set up Matthew Wright’s fourth field goal. In Kansas City’s latest narrow escape, which is 10-0 in one-score games this season, the ball was slammed while upright.
As time expires this season, the Chiefs have now had three different kickers hit game-winning field goals. No team in NFL history has ever had more than one kicker in a season.
After securing a first down inside the two-minute warning, Mahomes and Reid both scored touchdowns and settled for running out the clock for a potential game-winner instead of leaving time for Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
“I trusted Matthew, so I knew where we were,” Reed said. “The percentage is pretty high. “I understand because I know the other team would have won in the same situation, but I wasn’t too worried because I was a very solid gamer,” he said.
Wright said he didn’t think about the game situation and instead focused on what to do if something went wrong with his right leg. As the ball headed toward the uprights and started drifting left, Wright said he didn’t think well.
“That’s not a good thing,” he said. “Of course you want a shortcut in the middle.”
Kansas City’s ninth straight division title is two shy of the New England Patriots’ NFL record of 11.
The Chiefs took a 13-0 lead at halftime after the Chargers (8-5) punted on their first five possessions, but LA woke up in the second half and scored on each of its three drives. Cameron Dicker’s 37-yard field goal gave the Chargers a 17-16 lead with 4:35 left.
“We had to adapt,” said Herbert, who was 21 of 30 for 213 yards and a TD. “We didn’t make enough plays in the first half, we didn’t execute the way we wanted to. The passing game, the running game, we didn’t move the ball well. That’s our responsibility and I think we’ll just stay there and be patient and make plays in the second half. Congratulations to the players.”
Mahomes got to work, hitting Xavier Worthy on third-and-10 for 14 yards and scrambling for another first down. After the two-minute warning, Mahomes moved his body to avoid the tackle and He threw the ball to Travis Kelce, who was on his knees. This allowed the Chiefs to run the clock down to zero.
“I read the book,” Mahomes said. “When I was ready to run, I saw 87 was open in the middle of the field. So I fired him.”
Mahomes said he wasn’t surprised that Kelce was clutch.
“He means the world to me,” he said. “Without getting emotional, he is the person who made me who I am in my career. (He is) a true leader in football. “He’s someone I can always go to and he’s going to have a great time, just like he has throughout his career.”
Mahomes has been sacked three times and has been sacked 13 times over the past three games, the most by three of his career.
The Chargers opened the second half with a 13-play, 79-yard drive capped by Gus Edwards’ 3-yard touchdown run. Following a Chiefs punt, the Chargers went 74 yards in four plays to take a 14–13 lead, aided by a 39-yard pass interference penalty on Justin Reid. Herbert found Quentin Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown, the Chargers’ first TD pass in 13 quarters.
The Chiefs responded with Wright’s third field goal. This was a goal from 50 yards out after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Trey Smith put Kansas City away.
The Chiefs settled for Wright’s 47-yard field goal on their opening drive, during which Mahomes passed Dan Marino for the most passing yards in the first eight years of his career.
Late in the second quarter, Herbert missed a play after being hit by Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton, leading to the Chargers’ fifth punt. The Chiefs responded with a 9-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a TD catch by DeAndre Hopkins.
Kansas City’s first-half lead was its largest of the season and the first time it had outscored an opponent in the first half.
Kelce had 45 yards receiving and has 12,010 career yards, trailing only Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten among tight ends. He is the fastest tight end to reach 12,000 yards.
Herbert has missed just one game since Bolton’s hit after a trainer looked at his left leg. Taylor Heinicke replaced him. … TE Will Dissly left the game in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury. … WR Jalen Reagor was injured in the third quarter.
Chiefs T DJ Humphries left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
Chargers: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Chiefs: Next Sunday at Cleveland.
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