The San Diego Chargers had to love what they saw from wide receiver Keenan Allen early in his season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he grabbed six receptions for 63 yards before the end of the first half. The great quarterbacks in this league have a reputation for getting it done in crunch time, and while Smith has won lots of games the last several years, he simply did not have many, if any, late-game comeback wins on his resume.
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The Chargers opened the 2016 season looking like anything but the team that lost 12 games a year ago, including its last eight in the AFC West. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers sliced and diced the Chiefs defense producing touchdowns on three of four possessions over the first 30 minutes.
Smith gave the ball right back, throwing an interception and it looked grim at that point before a stunning comeback.
The Chiefs scored their first touchdown of the season in the third quarter, as Alex Smith hit Tyreek Hill for a 9-yard score. Chiefs defense will also see All Pro LB Tamba Hali play a limited role in efforts to get the veteran through the entire 16-game season. Four plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone again with a five-yard touchdown run by Spencer Ware, but even in a tied game, the Chiefs didn’t have the advantage mathematically. Smith finished it with his keeper on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line as the Chiefs flooded off their bench to celebrate.
Spencer Ware led the Chiefs at running back this afternoon, impressing in the absence of the injured Jamaal Charles. The four-time Pro Bowl running back is still recovering from surgery last season to fix his ACL and was inactive Sunday (see full recap). The young defensive backfield was consequently shredded by a speedy wide receiver group, and Marcus Peters was beaten soundly by Keenan Allen before the wide receiver left with a knee injury. Allen caught passes for 15 and nine-yard gains.
“We came in, had a great halftime talk, and talked about what we were doing”, said McCoy after his team surrendered a 21-3 halftime lead (a lead they bulked up to 24-3 to start the 3rd quarter).
That all changed once the fourth quarter began.
When the Chiefs’ offense was stagnant early in the fourth quarter, and the Chargers were holding a comfortable 27-10 lead, it was Ware who injected some life into his struggling team. Smith completed two short passes to Charcandrick West, and a deep 22-yard pass to Maclin to put the Chiefs in the red zone. The ensuing sequence: Bolts punt, Chiefs field goal, Bolts 21-yard punt from rookie Drew Kaser, Chiefs 46-yard TD drive. He signed with the Chiefs at the end of the 2014 season and started last season on the practice squad. It was his way of standing beside 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s stance on social injustice. “They had an awesome fourth quarter and we didn’t do anything to counter it”, Rivers said.
The Chiefs played without star pass rusher Justin Houston, who could be out until November as he recovers from ACL surgery in February.
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The Chargers spent a third-round pick on Allen in 2013 and he’s been the team’s top receiver ever since. After missing eight games past year with a lacerated kidney, Allen was off to a strong start against the Chiefs in his first start back from injury. His two rushing touchdowns against the Chiefs were half as many as the Chargers scored all of last season.
