AFC showdown:
Chargers top Chiefs with two-point conversion after TD.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Philip Rivers and the Chargers finally beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
All it took was feverish fourth-quarter comeback, a questionable pass-interference call, a tense video review of the final touchdown and the gutsy decision to try a two-point conversion.
The result: Chargers 29, Chiefs 28.
Justin Jackson’s touchdown run with a couple of minutes left gave the Chargers a chance. They quickly got the ball back from Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, and Rivers led a tense final drive that included a fourthdown dart to Travis Benjamin and that crucial penalty on Kendall Fuller in the back of the end zone.
The flag gave the Chargers the ball at the 1, and Rivers found Mike Williams along the sideline on the very next play. And when his TD catch with four seconds left was confirmed, coach Anthony Lynn sent his offense back onto the field to end five years’ worth of frustration.
Williams found himself alone in the end zone to secure the two-point conversion pass.
Not only did the Chargers (11-3) clinch a playoff berth, they forged a first-place tie with the Chiefs (11-3) in the AFC West while ending a nine-game losing streak to their division rivals.
Rivers passed for 313 yards and two touchdowns, though he also threw two interceptions. Williams had seven catches for 76 yards and two scores and added another on the ground.
Jackson ran for 58 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Melvin Gordon.
Mahomes passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City, but his inability to pick up a first down in the closing minutes proved costly. The Chiefs forced the Chargers to burn two timeouts on their last drive, but Mahomes was sacked by Isaac Rochell and Kansas City had to punt.
After the Chiefs pushed their lead to 21-7 on Damien Williams’ touchdown run, Williams responded with a 19-yard end-around for a score. And when then Chiefs went on another methodical scoring drive to take a 28-14 lead with just over eight minutes left in the game, Williams helped the Chargers head the other way for another answering touchdown to stay in the game.