Chiefs keep surviving everyone’s best shot, but margin for error gets slimmer with Rice injury

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — No matter the opponent, no matter the place on the schedule, no matter who is in uniform for the opponent, many of the Kansas City Chiefs remind themselves, as they did Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, of their burden, as cliched as it sounds.

“We’re going to get the best from everybody.”

Coach Andy Reid said it in not so many words. So did quarterback Patrick Mahomes, linebacker Drue Tranquill and even running back Samaje Perine, who joined the Chiefs a month ago, after the Chiefs’ 17-10 victory, their fourth one-score win in as many weeks to begin the season.

“I just remember as a player with the Chargers that you were juiced up to play the Chiefs,” said Tranquill, who spent four seasons with the Chargers. “Any time the Chiefs came to town or we went to Arrowhead (Stadium), it was like, ‘This is a big freaking game!’ You felt it, something a little more.”

The Chargers embodied such a team Sunday at SoFi Stadium, even without some of their best players, including edge rusher Joey Bosa (hip), left tackle Rashawn Slater (pectoral), safety Derwin James Jr. (one-game suspension) and rookie right tackle Joe Alt (knee). Plus, quarterback Justin Herbert, who played through a high ankle sprain, struggled with his mobility when he had a clean pocket.

Yet the Chargers (2-2) played as well as they could’ve hoped in the first quarter. They built a 10-point lead by capitalizing on two giveaways from the Chiefs, a fumble by rookie fullback Carson Steele and an overthrown pass by Mahomes that was intercepted.

Chargers intercept Mahomes and almost fumble it away!

📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: pic.twitter.com/2An4So367O

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

Even worse than the scoreboard at the time was how Mahomes’ turnover ended. While cornerback Kristian Fulton was returning the ball near the Chiefs’ sideline, he was being chased by Rashee Rice, Kansas City’s leading receiver. Rice’s right leg was bent backward when he ran into Mahomes, who was using his right shoulder in an attempt to tackle Fulton.

Within minutes, Rice was carted to the locker room, his hands and a towel covering his face.

“Rashee made a really good play,” Mahomes said. “I was trying to tackle the guy and obviously rolled up on him. If I just don’t turn the ball over, that never happens. I know Rashee and how tough he is. Him being down like that, I knew it wasn’t good. All we can do is pray that the X-rays and MRIs are better than what it looked.”

Rice will undergo an MRI of his knee on Monday morning. According to a team source, the Chiefs fear that Rice tore his ACL, an injury that would end his season. Entering Sunday’s game, Rice led the Chiefs with 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Reid said. “I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want. The guys all hung together and they feel terrible for Rashee because he’s having a fantastic year.”

Rashee Rice appears inconsolable as he is carted away pic.twitter.com/KD8rgo28Oz

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 29, 2024

Midway through the second quarter, Mahomes found himself in a huddle with a group of skill-position players he couldn’t have anticipated just six weeks ago — tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, running backs Kareem Hunt and Perine, and a receiver corps of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and rookie Xavier Worthy.

This was not the offense the Chiefs projected to be before the season began. But the Chiefs were without veteran receiver Marquise Brown (left shoulder), running back Isiah Pacheco (right fibula) and Rice.

It will make it that much tougher for the Chiefs to survive every team’s best shot. But now others have the opportunity to step up like Worthy did just before halftime Sunday.

Mahomes and Worthy were given plenty of time from the offensive line to connect on the longest connection of the season, a 54-yard touchdown.

“On the sideline, I told Pat, probably around the first quarter, ‘If we get this play call, I’m going to stutter a little bit (in the middle of my fly route),’” Worthy said. “It worked. It worked out just like that, which is crazy.”

Xavier Worthy doing his thing.

📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: pic.twitter.com/s1k5ygK0ET

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

The Chargers’ secondary gave Worthy a cushion of 8 yards before the play started. Worthy, who ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in a record 4.21 seconds, still sprinted past two defenders, Fulton and safety Alohi Gilman, before catching the ball in the end zone. The ball traveled 62.2 yards in the air, Mahomes’ longest completion by air distance of his eight-year career, and Worthy reached a top speed of 21.46 mph, the third-fastest by a ball carrier in the league this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

“When it happens and it works in a game, it’s just a lot of fun,” right tackle Jawaan Taylor said of the touchdown. “Momentum definitely changed.”

While the Chiefs offense needed time to adjust after Rice’s injury, the defense, led by pass rusher Chris Jones, began attacking the Chargers’ offensive line to disrupt Herbert. The Chargers had four possessions in the second quarter. They punted four times.

“Early on, we’re trying to figure out what they’re trying to do,” Tranquill said. “They did a lot of motions, they were able to get yardage on screen plays and they had a good game plan. As the game gets going, Spags (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is one of the best at feeling when he can call his shots, and we knew they were a little beat up on the O-line and there might be some communication and chemistry issues. We were able to take advantage of that.”

After halftime, the Chargers’ best shot to regain the lead came early in the fourth quarter.

But Spagnuolo and his players were able to manufacture another clutch stop deep inside the red zone. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh decided to keep the offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 play from the Chiefs’ 3-yard line. Jones beat backup right guard Sam Mustipher to generate immediate pressure on Herbert, who threw an incompletion, the ball nowhere close to a pass catcher in the end zone.

“It’s not just one play that’s significant enough to affect the whole game, but I think there’s four or five plays that affected (this) game,” Jones said. “I watch enough film where I can understand tendencies and then you’ve got to understand what the teams like to do in certain situations and formations.”

Jones dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half. He finished with a season-high two sacks and three quarterback hits.

The Chargers also never moved the ball past midfield again. Jones sacked Herbert on the Chargers’ last offensive snap on a third-and-11 play with less than four minutes left.

“In my opinion, he’s the most dominant one-on-one pass rusher in the NFL,” Tranquill said of Jones. “He can rush inside and outside and we’re trying every week to figure out how we can get him a one-on-one because his win rate is so high. When you get him a one-on-one, the quarterback is not going to have a lot of time.”

THE CEO STRIKES AGAIN 💪 @StoneColdJones pic.twitter.com/mDry7Ro1m2

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2024

Through four games, the Chiefs still have one of the league’s best defenses, even after trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in the offseason. The Chiefs have held their four opponents — the Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens — to 26 points or fewer for an average of 18 points per game.

“It’s a testament to our coaches and (general manager Brett) Veach bringing in the right guys and Spags,” Jones said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for the work he puts in and the investment he makes in the players and to make sure they’re at their best and what he’s able to pull out of us.”

On one drive in the fourth quarter, Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense managed to do what was necessary to exit SoFi Stadium with another win. Mahomes’ performance was disjointed, but he engineered a game-winning touchdown drive in just five plays. The biggest highlight was Mahomes’ 29-yard pass in the middle of the field to Gray. The play featured Kelce and rookie tight end Jared Wiley blocking for Mahomes.

Perine made the game-winning score on a 2-yard run into the end zone.

“It’s nothing different than the first three weeks,” Perine said. “We’ve been doing this every week. I guess we know how to win.”

(Photo of Chris Jones and Justin Herbert: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)