Tuesday 19 November 2019 12:58, UK
The Kansas City Chiefs stayed on top of the AFC West with a 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Azteca Stadium.
Nearly everything about this Monday night game felt foreign to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, from the gasp-inducing altitude of raucous Azteca Stadium to the struggles of their powerhouse offense.
Mahomes loved the experience, but did not love how his offense played.
The Chiefs defense picked it up time and again, culminating in the final pick that sent them all back home as winners.
"We kept that confidence all game long," Mahomes said. "We knew that someone was going to make a play to win the game."
Daniel Sorensen snared Philip Rivers' fourth interception at the goal line with 18 seconds to play, and the Chiefs stayed on top of the AFC West as a result of their victory.
Mahomes passed for 182 yards and hit Travis Kelce for his only touchdown, while LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams rushed for touchdowns as the Chiefs (7-4) hung on to win the fourth regular-season NFL game played in Mexico, despite being held to 310 yards of offense.
They also survived a few problems with Aztecas' grass field and a one-sided first half favouring the Chargers (4-7), who racked up 312 yards without a touchdown.
After throwing his second interception of the season in the first half, Mahomes led two sharp scoring drives in the third quarter with help from Kelce, who caught seven passes for 92 yards.
Mahomes also led the Chiefs with 59 yards rushing while his defense which had only six interceptions all season coming into Mexico City, held Los Angeles to eight points in the second half.
But the win still was not assured until Sorensen grabbed Rivers' underthrown pass to Austin Ekeler at the goal line to secure the Chiefs 10th win over Los Angeles in 11 meetings.
"I was real proud of our defense for the job that they did," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
"Four takeaways, so for the guys that intercepted the football and then helped create the turnovers, I'm proud of those guys."
Rivers passed for 353 yards during his first four-interception game since November 2016 for the Chargers, whose play-off hopes are nearly dead after five losses in seven games.
Keenan Allen caught his first touchdown pass since Week 3 in the third quarter, but the Chargers had three inept drives in the scoreless fourth quarter.
On the Bolts' last gasp, Mike Williams made a spectacular 50-yard catch with 44 seconds to play. Los Angeles reached the Kansas City 14 before Rivers' final mistake.
"He went out and he gave it his all," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said of Rivers. "He made some mistakes, and he understands that. But I thought he did some good things and put us in positions where we did move the ball down the field."
Rivers, who turns 38 next month, has thrown seven interceptions in the Chargers last two games, giving him 14 this season more than every quarterback in the NFL except Jameis Winston.
"It's a football game," Rivers said.
"If you could just pick and choose and never throw them ever, I would choose to throw zero. But it's hurting us right now. I just need to cut them out."
