Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, rookie Jaylen Watson returned an interception 99 yards for the go-ahead fourth-quarter score, and the Kansas City Chiefs held on to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 on Thursday night.
Mahomes finished with 235 yards passing, and Jerick McKinnon and Justin Watson hauled in the TD passes for the Chiefs (2-0), who fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter and spent most of the game playing catch-up.
Jaylen Watson finally put the Chiefs ahead after the Chargers (1-1), answering Matt Ammendola‘s tying field goal, marched to the Kansas City three-yard line. Justin Herbert was eyeing tight end Gerald Everett when Watson, a seventh-round pick making his first start, stepped in front of the pass with 10: 29 to go and ran nearly untouched the other way to the end zone. Watson had to take a break from his college football career and worked in a Wendy’s while getting back on a track that would eventually lead him to the NFL.
UNREAL. 7th-round rookie @JaylenWatson12 just went 99 yards for a Pick-6! 🔥 #ChiefsKingdom #LACvsKC on Prime Video
Also available on NFL+ https://t.co/Fa02SqPmRn pic.twitter.com/b2f4GIup1G
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2022
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Things became worse for the Chargers two series after the pick-six when Herbert was drilled by Mike Danna delivering a throw. He left the field clutching his side, returned one play later, then threw an incompletion that forced the Chargers to punt. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said after the game he doesn’t expect Herbert’s injury to be a problem going forward.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire promptly split the defense on a 52-yard run to set up a field goal for Kansas City.
Herbert, who finished with 334 yards and three touchdown passes, gamely tried to keep the Chargers alive. He threw a 36-yard dart on fourth down to extend their ensuing possession, then found Joshua Palmer in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal to pull Los Angeles within 27-24 with just over a minute to go.
Kansas City recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock on a crucial AFC West win.
The highly anticipated showdown between two of the league’s prolific young quarterbacks, each surrounded by premier playmakers, turned out early on to be a defensive slugfest.
The Chargers held the Chiefs to 13 yards in the first quarter, thanks to relentless pressure from Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and the fact that Derwin James Jr was just about everywhere, and kept a team that scored 44 points last week in Arizona off the scoreboard until Mahomes slung a sidearm pass to McKinnon early in the second quarter.
🚨 SIDEARM TOUCHDO