For the second consecutive week, the Chargers entered a fourth quarter with the score tied. This time Justin Herbert still was in the game.
The result didn’t change.
Herbert fought through a high-ankle sprain, but couldn’t push the short-handed Chargers to a key AFC West win over the Chiefs, who kept the Chargers scoreless for the final three quarters in a 17-10 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
The Chiefs (4-0) have won six straight over their division rivals and 18 of the last 21. Five of the last six wins were by fewer than seven points.
The Chiefs sealed the win with a five-play, 60-yard drive in the fourth quarter capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Samaje Perine with 6:08 remaining.
The Chargers (2-2) could have jumped ahead with 13:37 to go in the fourth quarter, but were stopped on fourth-and-one from the Kansas City three-yard line. Pressure from the right side forced Herbert out of the pocket and he threw the ball out of the back of the end zone.
Already hobbled with a high-right ankle sprain, Herbert was sacked twice and hit almost a dozen more times behind an offensive line without both starting tackles Rashawn Slater (pectoral) and Joe Alt (knee). Herbert finished with 179 yards and one touchdown on 16-of-27 passing.
The offense got help from a defense that was also was missing two key starters, safety Derwin James Jr. (suspended) and Joey Bosa (hip).
In a dream start for the Chargers, the defense forced two turnovers in the first quarter.
A fumble forced by Tuli Tuipulotu and recovered by Elijah Molden led to a seven-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Ladd McConkey, but the Chargers failed to take full advantage of Kristian Fulton’s interception that placed the offense at the Kansas City 20-yard line.
The Chargers settled for a 50-yard field goal after the short field because of two penalties on the offensive line.
The combination of an illegal chop block from guard Sam Mustipher — a backup center who was elevated from the practice squad Saturday — and holding by new left tackle Jamaree Salyer forced the Chargers to settle for a long field goal on their second drive.
