Chargers' nightmare season comes to merciful end in loss to Chiefs
Charles Omenihu #90 of the Kansas City Chiefs sacks and forces Easton Stick #2 of the Los Angeles Chargers to fumble resulting in a Kansas City Chiefs defensive touchdown in the first quarter during a game at SoFi Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Ingle (Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Mike Edwards returned a fumble 97 yards for a touchdown, Harrison Butker made a 41-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining, and the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 13-12 on Sunday while resting most of their starters.
With the Chiefs (11-6) locked into the AFC’s No. 3 seed for the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were inactive. Kelce finished with 984 receiving yards, ending the All-Pro tight end’s bid for an eighth straight 1,000-yard season.
Kansas City will host either Buffalo or Miami in next weekend’s wild-card round.
The Chargers (5-12) closed the season with five straight losses, the last three after coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired on Dec. 15.
Easton Stick, who started the last four games after Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending finger injury, was 28 of 47 passing for 258 yards and had 77 yards rushing on 13 carries. Donald Parham had five receptions for 83 yards.
Cameron Dicker kicked four field goals for the Chargers. Los Angeles ended the season without a touchdown in its last 10 quarters.
Blaine Gabbert, making his first start since 2018 with Tennessee, completed 15 of 30 passes for 154 yards. Gabbert had scrambles of 25 and 14 yards during a nine-play, 51-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that resulted in Butker’s second field goal.
Kansas City’s go-ahead drive followed Dicker’s 20-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining that put the Chargers on top for the first time.
The Chargers were on the 18th play of their opening possession when Stick was sacked by Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu at the Kansas City 5-yard line and fumbled. Edwards scooped the ball at the 3 and went 97 yards for the fourth touchdown of his five-year career.
It was the longest scoop-and-score in the NFL this season and the third-longest in Chiefs history.
According to Sportradar, it was the seventh time since 2000 a team had a drive of at least 18 plays and turned it over. It was the first of those on which a defensive touchdown was scored.
Butker extended the lead to 10-0 in the second quarter when he connected from 22 yards. The Chargers got field goals from Dicker on their final two drives of the half.
Dicker’s 43-yarder with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter got Los Angeles within 10-9.
INJURIES
- Chiefs: OL Wanya Morris left in the second quarter with a concussion. ... WR Justyn Ross suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and did not return. ... WR Rashee Rice (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (hip/ankle) and CB L’Jarius Sneed (calf) were inactive.
- Chargers: TE Gerald Everett (first quarter) and OT Trey Pipkins III (third quarter) suffered knee injuries and did not return. ... WR Keenan Allen (heel), LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (shoulder) and OG Zion Johnson (neck) were inactive.