Travis Kelce, Chiefs take down Chargers in OT

[December 17, 2021] Patrick Mahomes tossed a shallow cross that Travis Kelce turned into a 34-yard touchdown in overtime Thursday as the Kansas City Chiefs won their seventh straight by downing the Los Angeles Chargers 34-28 at Inglewood, Calif.

The win widened the AFC West lead for the Chiefs (10-4) as they won their eighth straight road game against the Chargers (8-6).

Mahomes overcame two turnovers, including an interception at his own 4-yard line, and a misfired pass to a wide-open receiver on fourth-and-goal. He finished 31 of 47 for 410 yards, with three touchdowns and one pick. Kelce recorded a career-best 191 yards and two TDs on 10 receptions.

Los Angeles gave the ball away three times on downs, once on a fumble and once on an interception.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 236 yards, going 22 of 38 with two touchdowns. Justin Jackson led a strong mix of Los Angeles rushers, gaining 86 of the Chargers' 192 yards on the ground.

The teams each scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, with the Chiefs using a two-point conversion to forge a tie. The last score in regulation came with 1:16 left on a 7-yard Mahomes strike to Kelce, who set up another TD with a 69-yard catch.

Herbert, who was named the AFC player of the week for each of his past two performances, generated second-quarter touchdowns on his own 1-yard rush and a 4-yard pass to Jalen Guyton, giving the Chargers a 14-10 halftime lead.

Los Angeles could have grabbed a larger margin but failed on fourth-and-goal opportunities on its first and last drives of the half.

In the first quarter, Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr. could not handle a pass in the back of the end zone, then landed awkwardly on his head and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was listed in stable condition late in the game.
 

On the final play of the half, the Chiefs' Daniel Sorensen knocked down a pass by Herbert, keeping Los Angeles from cashing in on a strip-sack by Joey Bosa.

The Chiefs established a 10-0 margin by scoring on their first two possessions.

Kansas City generated seven first downs on its first drive, moving 95 yards to put Michael Burton in position for a 7-yard TD burst on its first possession. The Chiefs got a 30-yard field goal from Harrison Butker early in the second quarter.

--Field Level Media

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