Where do we even start with the Kansas City Chiefs- LA Chargers game? The Chiefs extended their NFL record by winning their fifteenth one score game and doinked their way to win the AFC West. On the other hand, the Chargers were scoreless till the third quarter and Jim Harbaugh is already regretting the decisions he made in the SNF game.

It started in the fourth quarter after the Chiefs recovered from Quentin Johnson third quarter TD. KC replied with Matthew Wright’s 50-yarder, and were up by 2 (16-14). It was on at this point and both teams knew they can’t afford to lose. Unfortunately, the Chiefs guard Trey Smith took an unnecessary roughness penalty which changed the situation from third-and-1 to third-and-16.

Jim Harbaugh’s regret

Patrick Mahomes didn’t have a choice at that point and chose to lob a deep pass to DeAndre Hopkins near the end zone. But before the pass could be ruled complete, Cam Hart came out of nowhere and knocked the wind out of Hopkins. This became a catalyst for the Chargers to march down the Chiefs territory and take a lead.

Justin Herbert had the possession and drove the Chargers down to Chiefs 24. On the third and 16, the Chargers decided to hand the ball to Kamani Vidal, who had a 5-yard gain on that play. It might not have been the ideal move. However, Justin Herbert was sacked just a play before so the Chargers didn’t want to take any chances. The Bolts were 14-16 at this point. Herbert somehow got them into the FG range and Cameron Dicker’s 37-yard FG was a success.

But as said earlier, Jim Harbaugh would reverse time and do something different on the Chargers third and 16. “I wanted to give ourselves the chance for a field goal. Tough to pick up a 3rd and 16. Don’t want to take a sack like we did previously,” Harbaugh said. “If I had to do it over again…I would love to have the opportunity to try something different.” In hindsight, if they were desperate enough for a win, they should have tried going for it.

Anyways, the Chiefs had the ball with 4:35 remaining on the clock. Maybe Harbaugh didn’t realize who he was up against. Mahomes picked up a couple of downs, made some crucial passes and got the Chiefs in the field goal range. It was finally Matthew Wright’s turn to shine, again. He made the 31-yard field goal with no time left on the clock and the Chargers lost 19-17 at GEHA Field. Wright was responsible for 13 of the 19 points that the Chiefs scored in that game.

The Chargers not only lost the game, but also came out battered up. Jim Harbaugh addressed the injuries after the game.

The injured Bolts

We have to address that Justin Herbert injury scare late in the second quarter on a third and 10 attempt. The Bolts QB took a big hit to the mid-section and stayed down for a while. He needed help from his trainers to get off the field and was diagnosed in the medical tent later. He was out for a play then went back in. But for a moment there, we thought we lost Herbert.

“Yeah, I just took a shot to the knee, but I should be okay,” Herbert said after the game. The Chargers coach earlier made it out to be a “leg contusion” or a “bruise” but the Rams QB didn’t exactly agree with Harbaugh’s assessment. “Yeah, I’d have to watch the film. Maybe it was a helmet there or an elbow. I’m not quite sure. But just took a shot there and was in some pain, so it came off. Felt good to go and went back in,” The Rams QB further explained.

While the quarterback was fine in the end, the same can’t be said about Will Dissly, the TE, who suffered a shoulder injury at the end of the first half. The team ruled him out and he was deemed questionable to play. Sometime later, Jalen Reagor was also ruled out of the game because he injured his finger.

As of now, Jim Harbaugh is also clueless about the extent of the injuries. He’s waiting for Dissly, Reagor and Herbert to be evaluated. The Chargers still have a chance to make it to the playoffs as a wild card. However, they cannot afford to lose any more games right now. They are are up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next. Now that’s a team that’s walking on egg shells, much like their opponents.