Chiefs down Chargers to capture 9th straight AFC West title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matthew Wright kicked a 31-yard field goal that banked off the left upright as time expired, and the Kansas City Chiefs survived another close game, beating the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 on Sunday night to win their ninth straight AFC West title.

Patrick Mahomes led the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (12-1) on a clock-killing 4 1/2-minute drive to set up Wright’s fourth field goal. It looked routine until the ball clanged off the upright in the latest narrow escape for Kansas City, which has won 10 games by a one-score margin.

Kansas City’s nine straight division titles are two short of the New England Patriots’ NFL record of 11.

The Chiefs led 13-0 at halftime after the Chargers (8-5) punted on their first five possessions, but Justin Herbert and LA woke up in the second half, scoring on each of their three drives. Cameron Dicker’s 37-yard field goal put the Chargers ahead 17-16 with 4:35 left.

Mahomes then went to work, hitting Xavier Worthy for 14 yards on third-and-10 and scrambling for another first down. After the two-minute warning, Mahomes scrambled, dodged a would-be tackle and lobbed a throw to a kneeling Travis Kelce that allowed the Chiefs to run the clock down to zero.

Mahomes was 24 of 37 for 210 yards and threw a 9-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins late in the first half for Kansas City’s only touchdown.

Herbert went 21 of 30 for 213 yards and a TD.

Mahomes was sacked three times and has taken 13 sacks over the past three games, the most of any three-game stretch in his career.

The Chargers opened the second half with a 13-play, 79-yard drive that concluded with Gus Edwards’ 3-yard touchdown run. Following a Chiefs punt, the Chargers then went 74 yards on four plays, aided by 39-yard pass interference penalty on Justin Reid, to take a 14-13 lead. Herbert found Quentin Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown, the Chargers’ first TD pass in 13 quarters.

The Chiefs responded with Wright’s third field goal, this one from 50 yards after an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against Trey Smith pushed Kansas City back.

The Chiefs settled for Wright’s 47-yard field goal on their opening drive, during which Mahomes passed Dan Marino for the most passing yards in the first eight years of a career.

Late in the second quarter, Herbert was hit by Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton, forcing him to miss a play and leading to the Chargers’ fifth punt. The Chiefs responded with a 9-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Hopkins’ TD catch.

Kansas City’s halftime lead was its largest of the season and it shut out an opponent in the first half for the first time.

Receiving royalty

Kelce finished with 45 yards receiving and has 12,010 in his career, trailing only Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten among tight ends.

Injuries

Herbert missed only one play after the hit by Bolton after trainers looked at his left leg. Taylor Heinicke replaced him. ... TE Will Dissly left the game with a right shoulder injury in the third quarter. ... WR Jalen Reagor was hurt in the third quarter.

Chiefs T DJ Humphries left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.

Up next

Chargers: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.

Chiefs: At Cleveland next Sunday.

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