Los Angeles beat Kansas Metropolis 27-21 in São Paulo on Sept. 5, snapping a seven-game slide vs. the Chiefs and ending Kansas Metropolis’s 17-game one-score win streak. Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns and sealed it with a 19-yard scramble late within the fourth.
Justin Herbert and Los Angeles exploit stress seems to be as Kansas Metropolis’s protection wilts
The Chargers received 27-21 on Sept. 5, ending a seven-game slide towards the Chiefs and halting Kansas Metropolis’s run of 17 straight one-score wins. Herbert accomplished 25 of 34 for 318 yards and three touchdowns, then iced it with a 19-yard scramble on Third-and-14. It was not fluky. Within the pivotal fourth quarter, an 11-play march bled practically seven minutes as Herbert went 8-for-8, repeatedly discovering area over the center when Steve Spagnuolo dialed up further rushers. That sequence flipped any late-game script Mahomes normally writes.Herbert’s distribution mattered. Quentin Johnston caught two scores, together with a 23-yarder that restored a two-possession cushion within the fourth. Keenan Allen added an 11-yard crimson zone TD and crossed a franchise milestone for profession touchdowns. The passing emphasis additionally underscored a tactical shift: after a run-heavy 2024, Greg Roman’s offense leaned into early-down throws and fast solutions versus the blitz. The payoff confirmed up in situational soccer and within the ultimate two minutes when Herbert’s scramble successfully closed the door.It was additionally a notable stage for the franchise. The victory marked Kansas Metropolis’s first regular-season loss overseas underneath Andy Reid after earlier wins in London, Mexico Metropolis and Frankfurt. That context, plus the streak Los Angeles broke in one-score outcomes, frames the outcome as greater than a Week 1 blip.“The dearth of stress from the Chiefs line of defense going towards this Charger O-Line is regarding,” Analyst Tucker D. Franklin’s learn matched the tape: when Kansas Metropolis despatched warmth, Herbert answered with rhythm throws and in-breakers; once they sat again, he layered intermediate pictures. The move rush by no means pressured the one dangerous resolution the Chiefs wanted.
Patrick Mahomes retains Kansas Metropolis alive, however accidents and kicks swing the margin
Mahomes did what he all the time does late, hitting Travis Kelce for a 37-yard landing and ripping a fourth-and-7 deep ball to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. However the margins broke towards Kansas Metropolis. Harrison Butker missed a third-quarter PAT that might have tied it, and a later two-point strive failed. The Chiefs additionally misplaced rookie Xavier Worthy on the opening collection after a collision with Kelce, thinning a receiver room already with out Rashee Rice. These three beats clarify why a fourth-quarter area purpose nonetheless left Kansas Metropolis chasing the sport.Even with the surge, the second half belonged to Herbert. He went 13-of-16 for 147 yards and two touchdowns after the break, calmly concentrating on smooth spots at security and leveraging play motion to sluggish the frenzy. That effectivity, paired with the seven-minute drive, saved Mahomes on the sideline lengthy sufficient to matter.What’s subsequent: Kansas Metropolis hosts Philadelphia on Sept. 14 at 4:25 p.m. ET. Los Angeles visits Las Vegas on Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET.