KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chargers know this all too well.
Patrick Mahomes leading a game-winning, clock-bleeding drive.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicked a game-winning field goal off the upright to clinch their ninth consecutive AFC West title with a 19-17 win Sunday as the Chargers (8-5) lost their seventh consecutive game to their divisional rival.
Six of the wins have come by a single possession, including both of the losses this season, and the Chargers now have lost 11 consecutive games decided by three or fewer points.
When Matthew Wright’s 31-yard field goal bounced off the left upright and through the goal posts as time expired, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh could only stare blankly in front of him with his mouth hanging open.
“This one hurts,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll lay down and bleed for a little while. Not long. Then we’ll rise and try again.”
Escaping with 10 wins by one possession this season, the Chiefs (12-1) appeared vulnerable for an upset Sunday.
The Chargers had one-point leads in the third and fourth quarters. They only gave up one touchdown. They showed their quick-strike potential with back-to-back touchdown drives to open the third quarter.
Then they left Arrowhead Stadium lamenting missed plays in the fourth quarter again as Mahomes found his magic just in time. Answering a 14-play drive by the Chargers that lasted more than 8 minutes, Mahomes put the Chiefs into prime field goal position with a nine-yard completion to Travis Kelce on third and seven with 2 minutes remaining.
Last season the Chiefs won the season’s second divisional game on a field goal with 49 seconds remaining in SoFi Stadium. After the same script played out in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, quarterback Justin Herbert defaulted to an answer that was as rehearsed as the Chargers’ losses to their divisional rivals.
“That’s football,” Herbert said. “It’s the name of the game. We do everything we can. It’s all about the next one.”
The quarterback shook off a left leg injury late in the second quarter to throw for 213 yards and one touchdown on 21-of-30 passing.
Although he missed one play because of the injury, he led back-to-back touchdown drives to open the third quarter. With a three-yard touchdown run from Gus Edwards and a four-yard touchdown catch from Quentin Johnston, the Chargers erased a 13-0 halftime deficit.
When the Chiefs mustered a 50-yard field goal to jump back in front 16-14 with 13:04 remaining, Herbert led a drive that chewed up 8:29. He marched the Chargers down the field for 57 yards over 14 plays.
But a seven-yard sack on second-and-nine from the Kansas City 17-yard line halted the momentum. The Chargers settled for a 37-yard field goal from Cameron Dicker and a flimsy one-point lead.
It was no match for Mahomes, who sashayed back to the line of scrimmage after his critical third-down conversion to Kelce, emphatically pointing toward the field while hyping up the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
“We’re going against a good quarterback, a good team,” linebacker Daiyan Henley said, “so when it comes down to it, it just comes down to making the plays in those crucial moments.”
The winning field goal bouncing off the upright felt like a fitting result for a team that has seemingly caught every lucky bounce this year. The crowd gasped as smoke from red and gold fireworks filled the air. Chargers linebacker Troy Dye squatted down low on the field in disbelief. Defensive back Elijah Molden fell to his knees.
“Losing on the last drive is frustrating,” safety Derwin James Jr. said. “I’m tired of doing it too, honestly, man. We gotta get it fixed.”
Mahomes threw for 210 yards and one touchdown while completing 24 of 37 passes. Long after the stands had emptied, the oval-shaped video boards in Arrowhead Stadium glowed red with a celebratory message of nine consecutive divisional titles.
