Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 19-17 Win Over the Los Angeles Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, and there was plenty to take away from the Sunday night contest.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Would it be a 2024-25 Kansas City Chiefs game without a back-and-forth battle resulting in a close ending?

For the second time this season, the back-to-back Super Bowl champions squared off against the Los Angeles Chargers. After jumping out to a solid lead in the opening half, Andy Reid's team failed to slam the door shut and ended up attempting a small comeback late. In an outcome similar to past games, however, Patrick Mahomes and company did just enough to escape with a victory. It's the second-consecutive 19-17 win for the Chiefs, and one that comes with a massive bonus.

With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.

A bumpy start for the Chiefs' offense didn't make things easy

It's no secret that even with some underlying metrics improving in recent weeks, the Chiefs' offense was far from perfect entering Week 14. Whether it be questionable play-calling decisions, the run game wearing down, Mahomes not living up to his all-world standard or his offensive tackles struggling, there's been plenty of blame to go around. This week's game preview highlighted just how serious of a challenge the Chargers' defense would be. To say Jesse Minter's group gave Kansas City a bit of trouble in the first half would be an understatement.

In their first five drives, the Chiefs mustered just a pair of field goals and punted three times. Averaging 4.3 yards per play on those possessions, no drive went for more than 40 net yards and one of them was a three-and-out. Missed opportunities in the form of errant throws, drops and pass protection mishaps (including some from newcomer D.J. Humphries) plagued the reigning champs until their final drive of the half. That nine-play, 77-yard scoring trip padded the lead in a much-needed way, but nearly the entire first half was difficult to watch on offense.

Pitching an early shutout was just what the doctor ordered

For as much as the Kansas City offense failed to get going, Steve Spagnuolo's defense did a bang-up job preventing Los Angeles from gaining momentum early on. That was anything but a foregone conclusion for a team that ranked 26th in EPA/play allowed in Weeks 8-13. That, combined with a changing cornerback situation and Joshua Uche being a surprise scratch at the last minute, made for an interesting matchup on Sunday. In quarters one and two, the home team answered the call.

The Chargers averaged 4.7 yards per play in the opening half of play, including just 5.17 yards per pass. They punted five times to start the game, having three of those possessions cut down to just three plays. For just the third time in Justin Herbert's career as a starter, his team was shut out on the scoreboard in the first half. Plenty of self-inflicted wounds helped the Chiefs' case, but credit must be given where it's due.

The second half highlighted the duality of the 2024 Chiefs

Naturally, the second half brought totally different vibes than the first. Just like they have in numerous other games this season, the Chiefs let their opponent stick around and gain legitimate hope. That's especially been a theme dating back to Week 9's overtime triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kansas City's 13-0 lead completely evaporated in the third quarter as the Chargers scored a pair of touchdowns on impressive drives. With the visitors dominating the time of possession coming out of the break, the Chiefs were tasked with facing yet another tough late-game situation. Their process didn't do a ton to answer questions that have existed for weeks.

After such a good first half, Spagnuolo's defense gave up three scoring drives in a row with two of them being 13 plays or longer. Offensively, Kansas City didn't get the ball until the third frame was over halfway completed. Opportunities were limited down the stretch. Overarching issues like pass protection, pass coverage and pass rush were all prevalent at various spots. Being 10-0 in one-score games this year isn't a fluke, yet it's hard to brush shortcomings under the rug simply because improbable results keep piling up. This year's Chiefs team simultaneously feels vulnerable but inevitable.

The AFC West was won for the ninth year in a row

With the Buffalo Bills losing to the Los Angeles Rams earlier on Sunday, the Chiefs were gifted a massive opportunity to help their case in the AFC playoff picture. Given Buffalo's tiebreaker advantage, defeating the Chargers would've provided a two-win advantage for the one-seed to end Week 14. Not only that, but an AFC West title and home playoff game were hanging in the balance. It wasn't pretty, but Kansas City took care of business and did everything it set out to do on Sunday with a walk-off field goal.

With their win over Los Angeles, the Chiefs are AFC West champions for the ninth year in a row. It's a streak that started back in 2016 and trails just one team, the New England Patriots of 2009-2019, for the longest such stretch in the sport. It's a testament to the culture and stability Reid has brought to the franchise, as well as his players' ability to produce repeatable results. From late in the Alex Smith era to the entirety of the Mahomes era, Kansas City runs the AFC West. That won't be changing for at least another year.

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