Chiefs Keep Chargers Out When It Counts : AFC: San Diego manages to get in position to score but can’t find the end zone in 14-13 loss.
The Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t get into position to score for the final 2 1/2 quarters, but still beat San Diego, 14-13, Sunday as the end zone became the dead zone for the Chargers.
On seven of their 10 possessions, the Chargers were in Kansas City territory. Aside from their only touchdown, a two-yard run by Rod Bernstine midway through the first quarter, the Chargers were inside the Chiefs’ 20-yard line three times but got only two field goals.
“There’s a number of plays in a game that you’d like to make when you put yourself in position, and we didn’t make them,” Charger Coach Dan Henning said. “You have to make plays to win it. You can’t just put yourself in position to make plays.
“It’s disappointing and it’s frustrating and I don’t know a great deal more to say about it.”
For the Chiefs (3-2), Christian Okoye scored on a one-yard run three plays into the game and Steve DeBerg threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Robb Thomas in the second quarter.
San Diego (0-5) held the Chiefs to only 14 yards and no first downs on their first three possessions of the second half.
When Kansas City finally moved the ball into San Diego territory, Nick Lowery was wide left on a 44-yard field goal try with 3:11 remaining in the game.
But the drive, which went from the Kansas City 24 to the San Diego 27, was time consuming.
“That was the most crucial drive of the entire game, and fortunately our guys responded pretty good,” said DeBerg, who kept the drive going with passes of 12 yards and 10 yards to Stephone Paige, who missed the last two games with a knee injury.
“We won ugly today, and fortunately this team is good enough to do it,” DeBerg said.
With 10 minutes left, the Chargers were trailing, 14-10, and had third-and-goal on the Chiefs’ five after a 46-yard run with a screen pass by Marion Butts. But Neil Smith sacked John Friesz for a seven-yard loss and Friesz fumbled to lose seven more. John Carney then kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it 14-13.
On the screen to Butts, he appeared bottled up at midfield, but he reversed directions and broke down the left sideline to the nine before being tackled by cornerback Jayice Pearson.
“The guy who really made the play of the game was Jayice Pearson when he caught Butts from behind,” Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer said.
Okoye’s touchdown was set up when Harvey Williams returned the opening kickoff 76 yards and a face-mask penalty against Donald Frank gave the Chiefs the ball at the seven.
The Chargers moved to the Chiefs’ 18 in the closing minute of the first half, but on fourth and two with 54 seconds left, Carney’s 36-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the right upright.