This wasn’t exactly the performance that Kansas City Chiefs fans expected to go into this game. They wanted to see the team come out and execute like the championship-caliber team everyone knows they can be. Instead, it was an uneasy opening half.

Things quickly got rolling for the Chiefs in the third quarter where they had over 120 more yards of offense than they Chargers. When it was all said and done it took the defense forcing multiple turnovers to close out this game and get Kansas City a 24-17 win heading into the bye week.

Awards

• Chiefs Wire Game Ball: DE Frank Clark
• Harrison Butker Rookie of the Game: CB Rashad Fenton
• Casey Wiegmann Veteran of the Game: TE Travis Kelce
• Otis Taylor Play of the Game: S Daniel Sorensen game-winning interception.
• Wesley Roesch Stat of the Game: Kansas City Chiefs defense – 4 interceptions.

Quick takeaways

• This game was just sloppy from the get-go. The field was coming apart as the players ran on it. The Chiefs came out and looked sluggish on offense to start the game. Something just wasn’t right and I can’t exactly place it.
• How about the big man, Derrick Nnadi, catching an interception. The assist goes to his defensive line teammate, Frank Clark, for putting the pressure on Philip Rivers. It’s good to know that Nnadi has hands to make that catch. Perhaps there’s an offensive play in the playbook with his name on it in the future.
• Running backs continue to be a huge problem for the Chiefs’ defense in the passing game. They simply don’t have anyone capable of covering running backs. Linebackers, safeties, defensive linemen — it doesn’t matter what position you put in coverage for Kansas City.
• I can’t be the only one out there that cringes every time Patrick Mahomes scrambles with the football. It was fun last season and even this season before he suffered ankle and knee injuries. Now it just makes me want to close my eyes.
• LeSean McCoy is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s clear that he’s the most talented running back the team has. On the other, he holds the ball like it’s a bowling ball and is prone to fumbles.
• Patrick Mahomes is still one of the most incredible quarterbacks in the game. The types of throws that he routinely makes under pressure, with touch and accuracy, it is just uncanny. There’s few who can do what he’s capable of doing even when he has an off night.
• The Chiefs defense is so perplexing. They largely kept the Chiefs in the game and then one thing goes wrong and they implode. Tyrann Mathieu drops an interception. The following play they give up a fluky holding penalty and set the Chargers up for six. Then they completely blow the coverage on a two-point conversion try. The inconsistency is simply astounding.
• One defender deserves immense praise tonight and that’s DE Frank Clark. He put together a multi-pressure performance and forced multiple turnovers during the game. He also had a crucial tackle for loss on third down in the fourth quarter. This was the game we all had hoped was coming for Clark.
• How about the rookie cornerback Rashad Fenton getting his first career interception on a big play in the fourth quarter? That really should cement him as the Chiefs’ starter at the slot corner spot.
• Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen had an awful no-good sorry night, at least up until the final seconds of the game. In the red zone, Sorensen jumped a wobbly ball from Philip Rivers for the game-winning interception. People will quickly forget about a bad game if you single-handedly close it out and Sorensen did just that.

Up next

• Following a Week 12 bye, the Chiefs will return to action on Dec. 1 at Arrowhead Stadium fending off the Raiders in Week 13.