Chiefs rally for 24 straight points to shock Chargers 30 16
SAN DIEGO (AP) _ This was the game when the San Diego Chargers were supposed to get better. They didn’t. In fact, they look a whole lot worse.
With Philip Rivers melting down, the Kansas City Chiefs shocked the Chargers 30-16 on Sunday, scoring 24 straight points in the second half and getting huge plays from two rookies.
Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick, caught a go-ahead, 51-yard touchdown pass from Damon Huard early in the fourth quarter, and cornerback Tyron Brackenridge raced 50 yards for a score after Rivers was sacked and fumbled with just more than seven minutes left.
It was the third straight loss for the Chargers (1-3), which exceeds their loss total from last year, when they were an NFL-best 14-2 before their playoff pratfall against New England.
Rivers was mercilessly booed in the second half. Those fans who weren’t streaming out of the stadium showed their displeasure by chanting “Marty! Marty! Marty!'’ late in the game, an obvious reference to Marty Schottenheimer, who was fired in February and replaced with Norv Turner. The Chargers have been unproductive under Turner, whose overall record in three NFL head coaching stints is 59-85-1.
The chants came after Rivers threw four straight incompletions from the five-yard line with less than four minutes left. Rivers had two interceptions and one fumble, which led to 17 points.
Larry Johnson gained 123 yards on 25 carries for the Chiefs (2-2). LaDainian Tomlinson finally cracked triple digits for the Chargers, gaining 132 yards on 20 carries, surpassing his season total of 130.