Chiefs can't overcome sluggish start in Brazil, falling to Chargers in season opener

The Super Bowl hangover was never a big problem for the Kansas City Chiefs, whether they won or lost it. They just kept marching through the rest of the NFL on their way to another Super Bowl.

One loss doesn’t mean the Chiefs are feeling that hangover this season, but Friday night’s opener looked a lot like Kansas City’s defeat to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, especially in the first half. In the end, the Los Angeles Chargers held on for a 27-21 win. That’s not a good thing.

The Chiefs’ night got off to a bad start when Xavier Worthy suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game. That happened on the third play and left Kansas City very short at receiver. The Chiefs didn’t reach the end zone before halftime. It was the second straight game they were held without a touchdown in the first half. They didn’t score against the Eagles before halftime of Super Bowl LIX.

Patrick Mahomes came alive with a vintage second half to drag the Chiefs back in the game, but Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert didn’t back down. Herbert had an outstanding game and the Chargers made a big statement in the AFC West in the NFL’s second game in São Paulo, Brazil. Herbert had 318 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs finally lost a close game, breaking an NFL record of 17 straight wins in one-score games including playoffs.

Kansas City, which lost one of its first 16 games last season, is 0-1. That’s not the end of the world, especially for Kansas City. But next week is a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who blew them out in the Super Bowl seven months ago. All of a sudden there’s some urgency for the Chiefs this September.

Xavier Worthy lost on 1st series

The first drive was a bad omen for the Chiefs. Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce ran a mesh concept, with both running short crossing routes from opposite sides. But Kelce and Worthy collided. Kelce is listed at 250 pounds. Worthy is 165. Predictably, Worthy took the worst of it. He suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return to the game. That was a huge blow to a Chiefs offense already playing without Rashee Rice, who is suspended for the first six games.

The Chargers were the far better team for most of the first half. Herbert completed 12 of 18 passes for 171 yards before halftime. A field goal in the final minute gave the Chargers a 13-3 lead.

However, the field goal came after a big mistake. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton ran out of bounds on third down, saving the Chiefs some valuable time. That allowed Patrick Mahomes to hit Tyquan Thornton for a 38-yard gain, setting up a field goal to end the half. It almost didn’t happen because Noah Gray was knocked backward and out of bounds with less than 15 seconds left, which meant the clock kept running. But the Chiefs swiftly ran their field goal team on the field, the snap got off before time expired and Harrison Butker nailed a 59-yarder to end the half to cut L.A.’s lead to 13-6.

It was a costly rookie mistake that gave the Chiefs some momentum going into the half. They needed it after a mostly lethargic first half.

Patrick Mahomes keeps Chiefs in it

Mahomes didn’t have a lot of help around him Friday night, but he seemed determined to take over the game by himself.

The offense finally had a nice touchdown drive after not reaching the end zone in the first half. The drive included Mahomes lowering his shoulder and running over cornerback Donte Jackson right before he went out of bounds on a run. Mahomes scored later on an 11-yard run, though the Chiefs missed the extra point. For most of the game, the Chiefs’ best offense was Mahomes scrambling when nothing was open.

Mahomes has had some incredible plays in his career, and he added to the reel in the fourth quarter. On third-and-5 he was tripped up from behind as he scrambled, and as he was in the air he somehow got off a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for a first down. Later in that drive, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a 37-yard score. The Chiefs didn’t get the 2-point conversion to tie the game, but Mahomes was doing everything he could to keep Kansas City in it.

Herbert kept making plays against a Chiefs defense that has become a foundation of their dynasty the past few seasons. After Kansas City cut L.A.’s lead to 20-18, and there had to be some worry that Mahomes was hunting them down, Herbert led a brilliant drive that ended with Quentin Johnston’s second touchdown of the night. The Chargers led 27-18 with a little more than five minutes left.

Mahomes wouldn’t give in. One fourth down he scrambled right and found Marquise Brown for 49 yards to keep the game alive. The Chiefs’ drive stalled and they settled for a field goal before the two-minute warning, hoping to get a stop and get Mahomes the ball back. The Chiefs seemed to have the Chargers in trouble on third-and-14, but they let Herbert get outside and he scrambled for 19 yards and a first down that iced the win.

The Chargers had a fantastic season in Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL last year. They came into this season with hopes of breaking Kansas City’s streak of nine straight AFC West titles. On Friday night, they looked like worthy contenders. And the Chiefs looked a little more vulnerable than we’re used to.

Chiefs can’t overcome sluggish start in Brazil, falling to Chargers in season opener

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