Clearly, the Chargers’ 27-21 victory Friday over Kansas City was a huge leap forward as they try to overtake the Chiefs and join the NFL’s elite. It was also the kind of a victory that could serve as a springboard toward a second consecutive playoff season in the Jim Harbaugh Era.
Here’s what we learned, what we heard and what comes next after the Chargers defeated the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and ended a seven-game losing streak to their AFC West rivals, who have won three of the past five Super Bowls and claimed nine consecutive division championships:
HERBERT’S PLAYMAKERS
Rich Eisen’s amazement during the YouTube stream about the Chargers’ willingness to pass and pass and pass some more was amusing at first and then it just got silly. Justin Herbert and the Chargers are a pass-first team, especially on nights like Friday, with so many options available to him.
Somebody must have fed Eisen some bad pregame intel.
The running game was effective when necessary, but Herbert’s accurate passing was the deciding factor in the Chargers’ victory. With a variety of capable playmakers available to Herbert, it’s likely to be a feature during offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s second season.
Keenan Allen caught seven passes for 68 yards and one touchdown; Ladd McConkey caught six passes for 74 yards; Quentin Johnston caught five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns; Tyler Conklin caught two passes for 50 yards; Omarion Hampton caught two passes for 13 yards, Will Dissly caught one pass for 18 yards; Tre’ Harris caught one pass for 11 yards and Najee Harris caught one pass for five yards.
It was the kind of depth of targets that was missing last season.
“Justin had an incredible game,” Harbaugh told reporters in Brazil. “Justin was phenomenal in every way. Pinpoint accuracy. I thought he did a great job with his legs, running there at the end, sealing the game (with a 19-yard scramble with two minutes remaining), and just overall toughness.”
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Chiefs’ Harrison Butker kicked three field goals, which says a great deal about the Chargers’ defensive play in their own half of the field. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes worked his customary creative magic from time to time, but threw for only one touchdown while running for another.
The Chargers managed to pressure Mahomes and keep him off balance with a steady pass rush and some standout tackling when he did complete his passes. It was very much like last season, when the Chargers were the NFL’s top-ranked defensive team, giving up only 17.7 points per game.
Plus, it marked the sixth time since Jesse Minter took over as defensive coordinator in 2024 that the Chargers had held an opponent to less than seven points in the first half of a game. They limited the Chiefs to a pair of first-half field goals en route to taking a 13-6 lead by halftime.
Last season, the Chargers had first-half shutouts of the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, gave up a field goal to the Cleveland Browns, five points to the New Orleans Saints and six to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The key is to respect Patrick Mahomes for the player he is and respect that team, and when they make a play be able to respond and not get down on yourselves and beat yourself as a team,” Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley told reporters in Brazil. “Not only were we able to start fast, we were able to respond and get the job done. That was just a full team effort.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
After some much-needed rest after their 12,000-mile roundtrip to Sao Paulo, the Chargers will recover and regroup before facing the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, Sept. 15. The Raiders aren’t in the same class as the Chiefs, but always present problems for the Chargers.