Chiefs beat Chargers 22-6 but short-yardage failures concern Reid
Kansas City stayed unbeaten on Sunday, but missed chances near the goal line drew criticism from coach Andy Reid before road games at Seattle and Denver.
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 on Sunday, 18 October, but their missed chances in short-yardage situations gave coach Andy Reid a concern to address before upcoming road games in Seattle and Denver, according to the Associated Press. The Chiefs said the win moved them to 5-0.
Kansas City had worked on short-yardage plays during its bye week, AP reported. Against the Chargers, one possession ended at the goal line after Kenneth Walker ran four consecutive times from first-and-goal at the 8. On another drive, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was stopped short of a first down on third-and-2.
Reid said the Chiefs had to convert those chances. He also took responsibility for one unsuccessful call, saying the play he chose was unsuited to the coverage. Mahomes said the team needed to find a way to gain first downs even when the play was difficult: ‘It's not always going to be pretty.’ He said the players would keep working on it.
Walker scores twice as Chiefs defense limits Chargers
The failures came alongside two touchdowns from Walker, including a 33-yard run on third-and-1 and a 2-yard score on which Mahomes supplied a block, AP reported. Walker said the team still had to execute with more precision. AP and the Chiefs gave different totals for his rushing yards, so a definitive yardage figure is omitted.
The Chiefs said their defense held Los Angeles to 259 offensive yards, forced two takeaways and stopped two drives on downs. AP reported that Kansas City sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert four times. The Chiefs had previously managed four sacks in their Week 1 game against Denver, according to AP.
The win also brought Mahomes his 100th victory, matching Tom Brady for the fewest starts to reach that mark in NFL history, AP reported. Kansas City faced disruption elsewhere: AP said right tackle Jaylon Moore sustained a concussion, while receiver Rashee Rice was inactive with a hamstring strain and Tyquan Thornton was on injured reserve. Xavier Worthy caught seven passes for 73 yards.
Kansas City next travels to Seattle, where Walker played last season, before visiting Denver. The Chiefs also have road games against Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams a couple of weeks later, AP reported. Walker said he was focused first on correcting mistakes from the Chargers game.
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Sources and context
- Chiefs savor a 22-6 win but stew over short-yardage failures as the Seahawks and Broncos loomAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Chiefs Defeat Chargers, 22-6, to Move to 5-0 on the SeasonKansas City Chiefs
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.