The byes are over. As of next week, all 16 teams are back in the pool.
And the Week 15 schedule is unusual, to say the least.
It’s a joint CBS/FOX doubleheader weekend, and each network will broadcast an awesome late afternoon game. CBS has the 10-3 Bills at the 12-1 Lions. Fox has the 10-3 Steelers at the 11-2 Eagles.
Elsewhere at 4:25 p.m. ET, the 7-6 Bucs visit the 8-5 Chargers in a game that oozes with playoff implications. Also, the 6-7 Colts travel to Denver to face the 8-5 Broncos in a showdown highly relevant to the wild-card chase.
That’s four late-afternoon games with significant relevance to both teams. Now, look at the 1:00 p.m. ET window: Cowboys-Panthers, Chiefs-Browns, Dolphins-Texans, Jets-Jaguars, Commanders-Saints, Ravens-Giants, Bengals-Titans.
And how about Monday night? It’s a staggered doubleheader featuring Bears-Vikings and Falcons-Raiders.
It’s just a strange weekend. Why have two great games on at the same time? One of them could have been played at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. Or on Monday night.
Regardless, get ready to get two screens and watch Fox and CBS at 4:25 p.m. ET. Before, of course, turning to NBC for Football Night in America at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had to leave the game for medical attention after taking a hard hit to his left leg in the second quarter on Sunday night, but he didn’t let that stop him.
Herbert missed only one play and played very well through the injury in the second half, giving the Chargers a lead before the Chiefs’ last-second field goal won it. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh praised his quarterback afterward.
“Contusion — leg contusion,” Harbaugh said when asked what the diagnosis was.
Harbaugh then added: “Tough as they come. A warrior.”
Herbert completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and had most of his production after suffering the injury. It was a big performance from Herbert, even as the Chiefs clinched their division and the Chargers have to accept that if they’re going to play in the playoffs, it’s going to be on the road.
The Chiefs did it again: They survived another close call, beating the Chargers 19-17 on Sunday Night Football.
The Chiefs moved to 12-1 and clinched the AFC West for a ninth consecutive time, while the Chargers fell to 8-5.
It was another one-score win for the Chiefs, extending their NFL record to 15 victories in a row in such games.
The Chargers dominated the second half and took a 17-16 lead on Cameron Dicker’s 37-yard field goal with 4:35 remaining. It was far too much time for Patrick Mahomes, and not enough time for a Chargers’ comeback. The Chiefs drove 47 yards in 13 plays after Dicker’s kickoff missed the landing zone and gave the Chiefs possession on their own 40.
With no time left, Matthew Wright’s 31-yard field goal bounced off the left upright and through for the game-winner.
They put it away with Mahomes’ 9-yard throw to Travis Kelce on third-and-7 at the Los Angeles 20 at the 2-minute warning. It allowed the Chiefs to run down the clock to 1 second before Wright’s heart-stopping kick.
The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 161 to 111 in the second half and outscored them 17-6. It wasn’t enough as the Ravens, Bengals, Falcons, Bucs, Broncos, Bears, Panthers and Raiders already learned in close calls against the Chiefs this season.
Mahomes went 24-of-37 for 210 yards and a touchdown, with eight different players catching a pass. DeAndre Hopkins had the Chiefs’ only touchdown on a 9-yard reception.
The Chargers, who lost 17-10 to the Chiefs in Los Angeles earlier this season, saw Justin Herbert overcome a hard hit to his left leg that took him out for a play. Herbert was 21-of-30 for 213 yards and a touchdown. He also used eight different receivers, with Quentin Johnston catching a 4-yard touchdown and Joshua Palmer catching six passes for 78 yards.
Wright kicked field goals of 47, 33 and 50.
Chiefs left tackle D.J. Humphries, playing his first game since tearing an ACL late last season, injured his hamstring in the second half. Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (chest) also left in the second half.
The Chargers have flipped the switch.
Unable to do anything in the first half, and trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Chargers have scored back-to-back touchdowns to start the second half. They went 79 yards on 13 plays after taking the second half kickoff and then 74 yards in only four plays.
The Chargers lead 14-13.
Their latest touchdown came on Justin Herbert’s 4-yard touchdown throw to Quentin Johnston on third-and-3 with 3:30 left in the quarter.
The Chargers benefited from a 39-yard pass interference penalty on Justin Reid on an incompletion to Johnston. They then got a 24-yard catch from Stone Smartt, who entered the game with three catches for 44 yards this season. Smartt has two receptions for 45 yards tonight.
Herbert is 17-of-25 for 168 yards and a touchdown.
Justin Herbert is fine and so are the Chargers.
The quarterback, who was hit in the leg and missed a play late in the first half, jogged back onto the field for the second half. He then led the Chargers on a 13-play, 79-yard drive to open the second half.
The drive ate up 7:48 of the third quarter.
The Chargers ended the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Gus Edwards, cutting their deficit to 13-7.
Los Angeles had only 127 yards and six first downs in the first half. They had six first downs on the touchdown drive.
Stone Smartt caught a 21-yarder and Joshua Palmer a 15-yarder in the drive.
Herbert now is 15-of-23 for 140 yards.
The Chargers list tight end Will Dissly (shoulder) and wide receiver Jalen Reagor (finger) as questionable to return.
It took 29 minutes and 13 minutes before Sunday Night Football saw its first touchdown.
Patrick Mahomes completed a 9-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins at the end of the second quarter to give the Chiefs a 13-0 halftime lead.
The Chargers will have to find some offense in the locker room at halftime if they are going to have a chance for a comeback. They had 27 plays, 127 yards and six first downs in the first half and had quarterback Justin Herbert injure his left leg with 4:13 remaining in the second quarter.
Taylor Heinicke replaced Herbert for one play before a punt, and Herbert returned when the Chargers got the ball back with 42 seconds remaining in the half.
Herbert went 10-of-18 for 97 yards, with Joshua Palmer catching two for 41. Heinicke is the team’s leading rusher with a 12-yard scramble on his only play.
The Chargers had one chance for a big play, but Herbert’s deep pass sailed over the head of a wide-open Palmer for what would have been a walk-in touchdown.
The Chiefs gained 187 yards with Mahomes going 18-of-25 for 153 yards and a touchdown, with Hopkins catching four for 32.
Matthew Wright kicked field goals of 47 and 33 yards after the Chiefs stalled at the Los Angeles 29 and 15.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was injured on a hard hit in the second quarter.
Herbert was rolling to his left when he jumped in the air to throw a deep pass to Quentin Johnston. His left leg was slammed into by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton while Herbert was airborne.
Herbert grabbed at his left leg after hitting the ground.
He remained on the field for several minutes while the team’s medical personnel worked on him.
Herbert limped off and was sitting on the bench after the Chargers punted.
Taylor Heinicke replaced Herbert for one play, a 12-yard scramble on third-and-20 after a holding penalty on Joe Alt on the play Herbert was injured.
Herbert is 7-of-14 for 73 yards.
The Chiefs lead 6-0.
The Chargers will not have their leading receiver when they play the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Ladd McConkey is officially inactive for the contest. He was listed as questionable with knee and shoulder injuries after he was limited in practice all week.
McConkey leads Los Angeles with 58 catches and 815 yards this season. He’s second on the club with four touchdown receptions.
Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman, safety Tony Jefferson, defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe, offensive lineman Jordan McFadden, offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes, and quarterback Easton Stick are also inactive. Stick is the emergency third quarterback.
For the Chiefs, offensive lineman D.J. Humphries is officially active for the first time. He is likely to start at left tackle.
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, offensive tackle Ethan Driskell, offensive lineman C.J. Hanson, defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu, defensive lineman Malik Herring, and defensive end Joshua Uche are inactive for Kansas City.
The Chiefs signed D.J. Humphries a couple of weeks ago with the hope that he’d become their starting left tackle and it looks like it is time to find out if he’s up for the job.
According to multiple reports, Humphries will start at that position against the Chargers on Sunday. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes both suggested that would be the case this week, but did not say so explicitly.
Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia have both started at left tackle at points this season, but neither one has played well enough to give the team confidence that they could hold up through the postseason. The Chiefs turned to left guard Joe Thuney against the Raiders on Black Friday, but that wound up hurting another spot without fully shoring up the left tackle position.
Humphries made 98 starts for the Cardinals over the last eight years and we’ll see if No. 99 is a step in the right direction for the Chiefs.
The Chargers activated linebacker Junior Colson from injured reserve Saturday, the team announced.
They also elevated running back Jaret Patterson and safety Kendall Williamson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, and they downgraded linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) to out.
Colson has appeared in six games for the Chargers this season, totaling 13 tackles and a pass defensed on defense, while adding a special teams tackle. He missed four games with an ankle injury.
Patterson appeared in 20 games, including a start, with the Commanders after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He totaled 344 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 85 attempts, while hauling in 10 passes for 73 yards over two seasons (2021-22) in the nation’s capital.
He spent last season on the practice squad for the Chargers and Commanders.
Williamson joined the Chargers’ practice squad in October after spending time with the Bears and Bills. He has never appeared in a regular-season game.
