Patrick Mahomes leaves late as Chiefs’ postseason dream ends in a 16-13 defeat to the Chargers
But here’s where the story gets even more dramatic: a late obstacle may have sealed Kansas City’s fate. With under two minutes remaining in the game, Mahomes sustained a left knee injury and now faces an MRI to assess the damage, per coach Andy Reid.
The Chiefs’ signal-caller was attempting to ignite a late-game comeback, but the rally faltered, and Kansas City was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
The injury occurred when Mahomes rolled out of the pocket and was chased down by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand before he threw an incomplete pass. He stayed on the ground for several minutes, then rose and walked off with help, ultimately being replaced by Gardner Minshew.
Moments later, Mahomes emerged from the medical tent with a towel over his head, limping toward the locker room as medical staff assisted him.
The Chargers sealed the win when Derwin James Jr. intercepted a pass from Minshew, improving to 10-4 on the season and dropping Kansas City to 6-8.
Kansas City had made the postseason in each of the previous nine seasons, and entering this year’s campaign, the Chiefs hoped to become only the second team in the Super Bowl era to return to the big game for a fourth straight year. Instead, their bid for a repeat playoff run fell short, largely because they couldn’t replicate last year’s knack for winning close games.
Last season, Kansas City went 11-1 in games decided by a single score — the most one-score victories in a single season in NFL history. This year’s campaign was different for a variety of reasons, including execution lapses, a defense that couldn’t get timely stops, and kicker Harrison Butker missing a career-high eight field goals. All of those factors contributed to seven one-score losses, including Sunday’s setback.
