The wait is finally over.
It had been 1440 days since the Los Angeles Chargers last beat the Kansas City Chiefs. That record has finally been put to an end.
Bolts fans have become all too accustomed to seeing Patrick Mahomes and co. win one-score games.
The Chiefs had won six straight games against the Chiefs before Friday’s trip to Brazil – five of which were by fewer than seven points.
For a moment it looked like history was going to repeat itself when Mahomes found Hollywood Brown on fourth-and-long in the final minutes.
But it was not to be for Chiefs Kingdom, as Herbert rolled out of the pocket for a first down which sealed the 27-21 victory.
Herbert deserves his flowers
NFL fans and media are quick to jump on Herbert’s back when he has a bad game. Will those same critics will change their tune today?
Herbert has long been labelled an ‘if man’. If only he had a defense…. or quality receivers… or a capable head coach.
Well for the first time since the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Herbert, it seems the franchise has all three.
Jesse Minter’s defense bent but was not broken in Sao Paolo – even when Mahomes came up with some absolutely magic.
Ladd McConkey looks set for an excellent sophomore year. A 31-year-old Keenan Allen proved he still has it. And Quentin Johnston played arguably his best game in a Chargers jersey on Friday night.
And of course, nobody questioned Jim Harbaugh as a head coach. Could the second year Harbaugh magic could on the cards again?
If you wanted the numbers, Herbert completed 25 of 34 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns. Besides an overthrown pass to McConkey early on, he was almost flawless.
Herbert also added 32 yards on seven rushes, and it would have been much more if not for a holding call in the first quarter.
Slight pump on the breaks
While Friday’s win may be the most satisfying Los Angeles Chargers win I can recall in a good few years, it is very early days.
All signs may be positive, but this is just one win on what could be a long road.
As the cliche goes, you can only beat what is in front of you. By the same metric you can only be as good as 1-0 after Week 1.
By no means is this a ‘Chargers are going to the Super Bowl’ message. I still believe the Denver Broncos win the AFC West.
However, the pieces are finally falling into place for Herbert. Chargers fans love to remind other fans that it took Peyton Manning six seasons to win his first playoff game.
Hopefully Herbert can follow in Manning’s footsteps in 2025 – the two Super Bowl rings would be nice as well.
Even with all the challenges he has faced, Herbert still has the most passing yards and completions of any quarterback in their first five seasons.
The only question which remains to be answered… Who’s got it better than us? Nobody!
