KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The final images of the Kansas City Chiefs' postseason pursuit turned out to be Patrick Mahomes getting helped to the locker room, a white towel draped over his head, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew throwing an interception to Derwin James that gave the Los Angeles Chargers a win over one of their biggest rivals.
It all happened in the final two minutes of their 16-13 victory Sunday.
Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, had helped the Chargers take the lead with a second-half rally, but Kansas City got the ball back with one more chance. Mahomes was sprinting toward the sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP grabbing at his left knee.
“It didn't look good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged afterward.
Minshew took over and completed three straight passes, giving Chiefs fans hope on a day that began with wind chills near zero and their playoff chances about the same. But with 20 seconds to go, Minshew unloaded a pass for Travis Kelce, and James — his longtime divisional foil — leaped up to pick it off, allowing Los Angeles (10-4) to begin celebrating a second straight 10-win season.
Perhaps soon, a second straight postseason appearance.
“It’s a ball team. This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Starting to think this is my favorite ball team that I’ve ever been on. I’ve been on a lot of teams, none better than this team. It’s a ball team. A real ball team. Love these guys.”
“We know what that team has done the last eight, nine years,” James added. “Coming into Arrowhead Stadium and getting a win, it means a lot for out team, because we're 5-0 in our division.”
Reid said that Mahomes would undergo an MRI exam on his knee Sunday night or Monday, which would better reveal the extent of the injury. Regardless, it is likely that Minshew will quarterback the Chiefs through the final three games of the season.
One of them is a primetime showdown with the Denver Broncos on Christmas night.
“I’ll do whatever the coaches ask of me,” Minshew said, “and we’ll go try to win some games.”
The Chiefs (6-8) already are guaranteed to be watching the playoffs on TV for the first time since 2014, and Kelce was in no mood to talk about it. Just as he's done after several losses this season, the star tight end refused to answer questions from reporters.
“Sorry guys, it's not the time,” Kelce said.
The Chargers had beaten the Chiefs in their opener in Brazil, ultimately setting each club on its season-long trajectory.
Los Angeles arrived for the rematch Sunday trying to extend the momentum built in last week's win over the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The Chiefs showed up knowing a loss, coupled with the wrong results elsewhere, would eliminate them completely.
The Chiefs played appropriately inspired for most of the first half.
They moved swiftly downfield with Mahomes darting in from 12 yards out for a touchdown on their opening drive. They added a field goal later in the first half, and another by Harrison Butker gave them a 13-3 lead with 38 seconds left before the break.
That's when the Chargers started playing like a playoff-bound team. And the Chiefs like one that should be sitting at home.
Herbert completed three passes in five plays to cover 60 yards, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith's first career TD catch got the Chargers within a field goal. Cameron Dicker knotted the game on their opening possession of the second half, then he gave them the lead when he drilled a 49-yarder on a cold, windy day at Arrowhead Stadium with 2:40 to go in the third quarter.
The Chiefs tried to answer down the stretch, despite a rash of injuries that had left them with a patchwork offensive line. But just like so often this season, a promising drive went haywire in the red zone. Tyquan Thornton's spectacular catch was immediately forgotten when Mahomes' pass was picked off by Daiyan Henley on a jump ball thrown to Kareem Hunt at the goal line.
Mahomes, who had just 189 yards passing, would ultimately end the game in the Kansas City locker room.
The Chargers would end the Chiefs' postseason hopes with one more interception.
“I thought it was really cool that we were able to close out a one-score game like that, how many times we've played them and had one-score games,” Herbert said. “For the defense to come out there with the turnovers and stops, it was awesome to see.”
Sent packing
Thornton landed in the concussion protocol after his late 20-yard reception following a vicious hit by cornerback Tony Jefferson, who helped to trigger a mild midfield scuffle. Jefferson was ejected, and Henley and James had to push him toward the tunnel.
Injuries
Chargers: WR Quentin Johnson (groin) was inactive. S R.J. Mickens left with a shoulder injury.
Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie (knee) was inactive. Thornton (concussion protocol) and RT Jaylon Moore (knee) left and did not return.
Up next
Chargers: At Dallas next Sunday.
Chiefs: At Tennessee next Sunday.
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