The aftermath of Sunday’s game in Kansas City centered on Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL and the Chiefs being eliminated from the playoffs, but it was a significant moment for the Chargers as well.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s field goal with 38 seconds to play in the first half put the Chiefs up 13-3 and turned out to be the final points that the home team scored all day. The Chargers rallied for a touchdown with five seconds to go in the second quarter and then kicked a pair of field goals in the second half to pull out a 16-13 win that solidified their place in the playoff picture.
After the game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that he though the final 30 minutes represented the best half the team has played all season.
“It felt like we were going to have to play our best game and I really hoped that,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “I hoped that we’d come and play our best. At halftime, that’s what we said, ‘Let’s go play our best half of football of the season.’ And our guys did. . . . To beat the other team, but beat the crowd . . . had some elements, got to beat the elements, too. It makes you feel like a man. Really proud of our team.”
The Chargers still have some work to do to ensure they continue playing beyond Week 18, but Sunday’s performance provided plenty of reasons to believe they will get the job done.
