Despite the hype, Chargers lose to Chiefs… again
By Travis Wakeman
This is supposed to be the year for the Los Angeles Chargers, right?
That’s been the talk all offseason, not just by us here at Bolt Beat, but by many members of the national media. But the talk has also been that if they can’t beat the Kansas City Chiefs, none of that talk really matters.
And to this point, these Chargers can’t beat the Chiefs.
The Chiefs made it nine wins in a row over the Chargers on Sunday, beating them 38-28 in a game that wasn’t really even that close. Patrick Mahomes answered many questions and gave no doubt as to why the Chiefs so easily traded away Alex Smith this offseason.
Mahomes was 15-of-27 passing for 257 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the third quarterback in Chiefs history to have four touchdown passes in a season opener. But it was Tyreek Hill who really burned the Bolts.
124. . 28. 13. 38
Hill took a punt after the Chargers’ first possession and returned it 91 yards for a score. On the Chiefs’ next possession, he caught a short pass over the middle and used his blazing speed to beat multiple defenders en route to a 58-yard touchdown.
On the day, Hill finished with two touchdown catches and 268 all-purpose yards.
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Even then, the Chargers still gave themselves a chance to win it in the late stages. Philip Rivers dealt with multiple drops from his receivers while throwing for 424 yards and three touchdowns on the day.
The Chargers had trimmed the score to 31-20 and then held the Chiefs to a three-and-out. But on the ensuing punt, J.J. Jones was stripped of the ball and the Chiefs recovered it at the Chargers’ 2-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes tossed the ball to Hill for a 1-yard score, the same exact play the Chiefs had scored on earlier in the game.
That was the nail in the coffin.
If you’re a Chargers fan, this is a brutal loss, but things could get a lot better in Week 2 as the Buffalo Bills are on the slate. They look like they could be the worst team in the NFL after scoring just three points in a 47-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.