SÃO PAULO — Since Patrick Mahomes became a starter in 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs have beaten up on much of the NFL, and perhaps no team understands what that dominance has felt like more than the Chargers. The Chargers went into Friday night’s game at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo on a seven-game losing streak to Kansas City and are 3-19 in their past 22 games against the Chiefs.
It wasn’t always a beatdown for the Chargers, and the games were often decided in the final minutes — or seconds — but in the end, the Chiefs were on top more often than not.
The paradigm shifted Friday night.
Quarterback Justin Herbert scrambled for 19 yards on 3rd-and-14 in the fourth quarter to effectively end the football game and send his teammates into a celebrating frenzy. Herbert and the Chargers offense picked apart the Chiefs’ defense all night with ease, and the Chargers defense slowed Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense just enough to edge out a 27-21 victory.
Here are the most important things to know from Friday night for both teams:
Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
What to make of the QB performance: This is a much different Herbert than we saw early last season. It wasn’t until Week 6 last season that Herbert had a game for over 200 yards, and he didn’t hit 300 until Week 7. Herbert hit the latter total Friday night, finishing with 318 yards and three touchdowns. It was Herbert’s first 300-yard passing, three-touchdown game since Week 10 against the Detroit Lions in 2023. Friday night’s performance reflected an improved wide receiving core and a vote of confidence for offensive coordinator Greg Roman, playing to Herbert’s strengths.
Trend to watch: Mekhi Becton’s health: The Chargers right guard, L.A.’s top free agent signing, appeared to be exhausted throughout Friday’s game. Becton missed snaps throughout the contest while getting oxygen on the sideline. Becton missed three weeks of training camp practice with an undisclosed injury and came into Friday’s game questionable with an illness.
Stat to know: Keenan Allen became the third Charger with 60 touchdowns in franchise history. This is a milestone that just a year ago seemed like it would never happen, as the Chargers traded Allen to the Chicago Bears following a contract dispute. Allen ran an out route Friday night that left him wide open in the end zone late in the third quarter for an 11-yard touchdown catch. — Kris Rhim
Next game: at Las Vegas Raiders (10 p.m. ET, Sept. 15)
Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Even when the circumstances were dire, Mahomes still created magic, finding receiver Hollywood Brown for a 49-yard completion on fourth-and-7 with less than four minutes remaining. Kansas City stayed alive with a field goal to cut the deficit to 27-21 but could not get a stop when it mattered on the subsequent possession.
The loss was the Chiefs’ first regular-season defeat abroad. Prior to Friday, the Chiefs were undefeated in international games under coach Andy Reid, winning contests in London, Mexico City and Frankfurt, Germany.
What to make of the QB performance: In the second half, Mahomes was once again asked to put on a superhero performance. Without Xavier Worthy, who left early with an injury, Mahomes used every bit of moxie and determination to give the Chiefs an opportunity in the fourth quarter. Mahomes’ second-half performance — finishing with 160 passing yards and another 42 yards on the ground — ignited the Chiefs’ offense after a lackluster start.
In the third quarter, safety Derwin James Jr. was an unblocked blitzer and applied immediate pressure on Mahomes, who was forced to scramble up into the pocket. After James attempted to make a shoestring tackle in the middle of the pocket, Mahomes had the presence of mind — while his body was parallel to the turf — to flip the ball forward to receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a critical conversion on third-and-5 near midfield. Mahomes finished the drive with a perfect intermediate pass to right end Travis Kelce, who scored on an easy 37-yard touchdown reception.
Turning point: With 12 minutes left, the Chiefs appeared to have momentum following the second consecutive touchdown drive. All the Chiefs defense needed to do was get one stop to give Mahomes a chance to lead his team to a game-winning drive. Instead, the Chargers took seven minutes off the clock with a methodical, 11-play drive where Herbert completed all eight of his passes, many of them in the middle of the field. The reason was simple: Herbert and his two best receivers, Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen, exploited the Chiefs’ poor play from safeties Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks. Herbert finished the Chargers’ possession with a 23-yard touchdown strike to receiver Quentin Johnston, who beat Hicks on a one-on-one matchup. The score gave the Chargers a 27-18 lead from which Kansas City could not recover.
Stat to know: Entering Friday’s game, the Chiefs had won 17 consecutive one-score games, a league record. Herbert was excellent in the second half, allowing the Chargers to keep their lead despite Mahomes’ rallying efforts. In the second half, Herbert completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs blitzed Herbert often, sacking him twice, but the quarterback sealed the victory for the Chargers when he scrambled to his right for a 19-yard gain on a third-and-14 snap just before the two-minute warning. — Nate Taylor
Next game: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (4:25 p.m. ET, Sept. 14)
