After Justin Herbert was sacked by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill late in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game in Sao Paolo, Brazil, it appeared the Chargers, clinging to a 27-21 lead, were in danger of giving the ball back and potentially headed toward a crushing loss — a familiar spot for the team.
But on third-and-14 with 2:14 remaining, Herbert dropped back to pass, scrambled for 19 yards and calmly slid for a first down while his teammates on the sideline went into a frenzy.
The scramble sealed the win for the Chargers and snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs. It also capped off one of the best games of Herbert’s career, as he finished with 318 passing yards, three touchdowns and 32 rushing yards. The scramble was an emphatic close to perhaps the biggest win of the Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles.
“He is hard to deal with,” Harbaugh said of Herbert. “He’s a problem.”
General manager Joe Hortiz spent the offseason retooling the Chargers’ offense. He signed running back Najee Harris, right guard Mekhi Becton and wide receiver Keenan Allen. He drafted running back Omarion Hampton in the first round and wide receiver Tre’ Harris in the second. The moves came after a humiliating 32-12 playoff loss to the Houston Texans, in which the Texans’ defensive line dominated the scrimmage, Herbert was inaccurate and the Chargers’ receivers not named Ladd McConkey struggled mightily.
On Friday, the Chargers appeared to have left their offensive inefficiencies in Houston.
Herbert spent most of the night operating with time to survey the field and find his receivers, finishing 20-of-24 for 268 yards and two passing touchdowns when not pressured.
The Chargers’ receiving corps, the team’s Achilles heel last season, was their strength on Friday night.
The night’s first points came from wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who broke free on a crossing route in the first quarter to give the Chargers the first points of the game. Johnston led the team in yards (79) and touchdowns (2).
Allen, who returned to the Chargers last month, a year after L.A. traded him to the Chicago Bears following a contract dispute, finished with seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Allen’s touchdown, which came on an out route that left him wide open, was the 60th of his career, making him the third Charger with 60 touchdowns in franchise history.
McConkey, the Chargers’ top target, finished with six catches for 74 yards, his 11th straight game with at least 50 receiving yards to tie Charlie Joiner for the longest such streak in Chargers history.
“The passing game looks good. That’s a real strength for us,” Harbaugh said. “Wasn’t that cool to have Keenan Allen? And Ladd? And Quentin?”
Said Herbert: “They just make plays, and they make my job so much easier.”
The biggest mishap for the Chargers came just before the end of the first half. The Chiefs had no timeouts with just under a minute remaining on third-and-14, and the Chargers decided to run the ball with Hampton. But Hampton ran out of bounds, stopping the clock and giving the Chiefs 40 seconds to drive down the field. On the broadcast, Harbaugh appeared to express frustration on the sideline, realizing Hampton’s mistake.
Kicker Cameron Dicker made the field goal to give the Chargers a 13-3 lead, but Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes marched his team down the field on the ensuing drive with 40 seconds left in the half. Just before the clock expired, kicker Harrison Butker made a rushed 59-yard field goal that cut Kansas City’s halftime deficit to 13-6.
Hampton’s error resulted in three points for the Chiefs, but Harbaugh took the blame.
“None of us smart coaches relayed the message to our young running back to stay in bounds,” Harbaugh said. “Not his fault at all.”
The other concern for the Chargers was Becton, who appeared exhausted throughout the night, often getting oxygen on the sideline from trainers. He missed multiple offensive series.
Becton had been listed as questionable for the game with an illness, and Harbaugh said that was the reason for Becton’s exhaustion and time off the field. Harbaugh said he was impressed with how Becton performed, comparing it to Michael Jordan’s flu game.
The Chargers will travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 2 on Monday Night Football.