KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was left to stroll gingerly into the coach’s room inside Arrowhead Stadium, his left arm held tightly to his battered ribs, after Los Angeles blew a 10-point halftime lead and misplaced 27-24 to the AFC West-rival Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Thursday night time.
Herbert was anticipated to get X-rays after getting crushed by Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna halfway by the fourth quarter, however Chargers coach Brandon Staley was fast to say he thought his Professional Bowl quarterback can be OK.
Herbert solely missed one play after the hit earlier than gamely attempting to rally his staff to victory.
“It was only a robust NFL recreation and he took some large hits. None of these large hits had any impression on him bringing his staff again the way in which he at all times does,” Staley mentioned. “I feel that we’re going to study much more tomorrow, however I feel in that space of shedding his wind and (an harm) in that space of his physique.”
Requested whether or not he was involved about Herbert going ahead, Staley replied: “No, as a result of he’s Justin Herbert.”
Herbert and the Chargers obtained off to begin, constructing an early 10-0 lead, and the sport was nonetheless tied when Herbert was intercepted by Jaylen Watson close to the Kansas Metropolis objective line early within the fourth quarter. Watson took the choose 99 yards the opposite route for a landing that gave Kansas Metropolis a 24-17 lead — its first of the night time.
After the groups swapped punts, Herbert was attempting to unload a cross to tight finish Gerald Everett when Danna got here unencumber the center and landed on his ribs. Herbert remained on the bottom for a couple of minute whereas trainers tended to him, then he left the sport for a play earlier than telling Staley on the sideline that he was OK to proceed.
“I simply rotated and noticed him on the bottom,” Chargers extensive receiver Mike Williams mentioned.
Herbert walked out and was promptly crushed between Chiefs cross rushers Frank Clark and George Karlaftis as he threw an incompletion, forcing Los Angeles to punt whereas nonetheless trailing by a landing within the waning minutes.
“Our protection hit the quarterback — who's a cellular man, an important participant — to the purpose that he’s most likely fairly sore after the sport,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned later.
The Chiefs added a area objective to stretch the lead, however Herbert saved the Chargers alive when he marched them 73 yards in simply over 2 minutes for a landing. He took a pair extra hits on the drive, however he delivered a reasonably throw to DeAndre Carter to transform one fourth down and to Joshua Palmer on one other fourth down for the rating.
Los Angeles tried an onside kick however the Chiefs recovered and have been capable of run out the clock.
Herbert, who had received his first two video games at Arrowhead Stadium, completed with 334 yards passing and three touchdowns, however he additionally threw the interception that wound up being a very powerful play of the sport.
The Chiefs had simply kicked a area objective to knot the sport 17-all early within the fourth quarter when Herbert led his staff again down area. He threw a 26-yard strike to Everett to arrange first-and-goal on the Kansas Metropolis 3, and he was concentrating on his tight finish once more when Watson stepped in entrance of his errant cross and hauled it in.
Earlier than the play, Everett regarded winded and seemed to be asking to come back out of the sport.
Watson took off the opposite approach, made Herbert miss close to midfield and cruised to a 99-yard landing return that not solely gave Kansas Metropolis a 24-17 lead — its first of the night time — however energized the gang packed inside Arrowhead Stadium.
“When he’s matched up within the flat, the tight finish has the choice to come back again in. I feel Justin was anticipating him to come back again in on that,” Staley mentioned. “However it’s simply a kind of unfortunate issues that occurred, and we’ll study rather a lot from that.”
Los Angeles went three-and-out on its subsequent possession, then Herbert took the blow that briefly knocked him from the sport, placing a bitter finish to what had been by three quarters a stable efficiency by the Chargers on the highway.
“I depart right here saying that we misplaced,” Staley mentioned, “(however) I believed that we competed like I count on us to compete.”
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