Alex Smith dived for a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, completing the Kansas City Chiefs’ frantic rally from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the San Diego Chargers 33-27 in their season opener Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Advertisement
Late in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs, Keenan Allen went down on the field. Allen’s leg injury opens the door for another San Diego receiver to step up and take his targets. He also hurt one of his knees but walked off the field under his own power. However, Allen simply was in too much pain to do that. But it really hit its stride when the Chargers missed a 54-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, giving Kansas City some desperately needed momentum. The former California Golden Bears star had six catches for 63 yards. And the numbers would have looked even better had he not dropped a long pass at the end of the first half.
Allen, 24, signed a four-year extension in the offseason, and hopefully he’ll come back strong next season. He was the third most efficient receiver of Week 1 by Reception NEP per target among players with at least eight targets and the most efficient of those players who were not thrown passes by Drew Brees – Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks were first and second.
It wasn’t until a sack of Philip Rivers from Dee Ford with 53 seconds remaining did the Chiefs achieve their first favorable odds of winning the game since there was 3:50 remaining in the first quarter.
All this against a San Diego team coming off a 4-12 campaign and expected to be among the league’s bottom dwellers again this season. Bosa missed all of the preseason in a contract dispute and continues to carry a roster exemption from the NFL. The Chargers placed Johnson on Injured Reserve in August.
Even without Allen, the retooled Chargers and their improved offensive line managed to build a 21-3 halftime lead.
Roddy White is another interesting option for the San Diego Chargers. If he sees something is not working it’s his job to diagnose it and tell the coaching staff to make the proper changes.
Depending on his health, Marques Colston could be an option as well. Then the Giants emphasized the run to use most of the clock, quite a contrast to last season when questionable clock management contributed to six losses late in regulation or in overtime in a 6-10 season. Sure, it’s on Defensive Coordinator John Pagano for stopping the blitz that was so effective and it’s on Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt for going nearly exclusively to the kind of shotgun offense that killed the Chargers past year when getting Rivers under center and running between the tackles was really working.
The Chargers have lost nine straight AFC West games dating to 2014. The Chargers could just as easily finish fourth as they can in first place. Unfortunately, though, they are a part of the game because professional football is a violent sport.
Advertisement
New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) cheers after a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz.
