Justin Herbert, Chargers outlast Chiefs in season opener in Brazil

The Chargers traveled a very long distance to put an end to a humbling and frustrating seven-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs, making a statement with a season-opening 27-21 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 47,627 on Friday night at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Quentin Johnston, as the Chargers defeated the Chiefs for the first time since Sept. 26, 2021, in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Playing more than 6,000 miles from home, the Chargers made themselves at home.

Herbert completed 25 of 34 passes and also ran four times for 36 yards (until three late kneel-downs), including what proved to be a 19-yard keeper for a first down on a third-and-14 situation from his own 34-yard line on the final play before the two-minute warming, and with the Chargers clinging to a 27-21 lead.

Dropping to pass, Herbert looked up to see Kansas City’s edge rusher Chris Jones racing toward him. Herbert rolled to his right, out of the reach of Jones and down the right sideline, with his Chargers teammates jumping up and down and cheering him toward the all-important first down.

The Chiefs were out of timeouts and, finally, out of answers for the Chargers.

“Just another game for us,” Herbert said during a postgame TV interview, clearly downplaying a massive victory for the Chargers and a redemptive performance for him after he threw a career-high four interceptions in a 32-12 loss to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card game in January.

Herbert and the Chargers buried their past frustrations against the Chiefs with a poised, resilient and eye-opening victory over a Kansas City team that has won the Super Bowl three times in the past five seasons and has claimed the past nine straight AFC West championships.

“It’s monumental,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters in Brazil. “September 5th will go down in some Charger lore, in my opinion. It was a big win.”

“Justin was phenomenal today in every way with pinpoint accuracy. I thought he did a great job with his legs and running at the end to seal the game. Just overall toughness and just complete stalwart. He took some big hits and gave a few shots himself. It was incredible quarterback play today.”

Eight different Chargers caught passes from Herbert, led by Johnston’s five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Keenan Allen caught seven passes for 68 yards and one touchdown in his first game back with the Chargers after spending last season with the Chicago Bears.

“Ain’t no message,” Allen said when asked during a postgame TV interview whether the Chargers had sent a message to the rest of the AFC West and perhaps the NFL with their first victory over the Chiefs in nearly four years. “We’re fighting for ourselves. It’s about us.”

Herbert’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Johnston proved to be the decisive score, giving the Chargers a 27-18 lead with 5:02 remaining in the game. Herbert also connected with Johnston on a 5-yard scoring pass in the first quarter and on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Allen in the third.

As ever, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes proved to be a handful for the Chargers to contain. Mahomes completed 24 of 39 passes for 258 yards and a 37-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce that cut the Chargers’ lead to 20-18 with 12:04 remaining in the game.

“He put on his superhero cape a few times at the end,” Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack said, perhaps referring to a play in which Mahomes scrambled away from him and delivered a 49-yard strike to Hollywood Brown that set the Chiefs up in the red zone with plenty of time still to play.

The Chiefs only got the third of Harrison Butker’s three field goals the rest of the way, however. The Chargers’ 27-21 lead would hold up over the final 2:34 as Herbert put the game into the deep freeze with an 18-yard pass to tight end Will Dissly for a first down on first-and-10 from his own 20.

Herbert then sealed the deal with a 19-yard scramble with two minutes to go.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight, so we showed up today with our best effort,” Herbert told reporters in Brazil. “It was fun to see.”

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, the Chargers’ first-round draft pick, started in place of Najee Harris, who missed all of training camp after suffering an eye injury during a July 4 fireworks accident. Hampton gained 48 yards on 15 carries. Harris had one attempt for five yards.

Herbert praised the offensive line, which played without left tackle Rashawn Slater after Slater suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp and with right guard Mekhi Becton suffering from an illness. Herbert was sacked three times, but had time to throw more often than not.

“The offensive line did a great job,” Herbert said. “We’ve watched so much film over the last couple of weeks. ‘Boze’ (center Bradley Bozeman) got those guys ready. They (the Chiefs) got us a couple of times, but we didn’t let that stop us. We kept attacking and we kept communicating.”

UP NEXT

The Chargers play at Las Vegas on Sept. 15.