Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers answered the sting of a January playoff defeat by beating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-21 in the season opener on Sept. 6, 2025, in São Paulo, with Herbert delivering a 318-yard, three-touchdown, zero-turnover performance that included a game-clinching third-and-13 scramble.
Key Takeaways
- Chargers 27, Chiefs 21 — game played Sept. 6, 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Herbert completed 25 of 34 passes for 318 yards and three TDs, with no turnovers.
- The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak to Kansas City.
- Herbert’s decisive third-and-13 scramble late in the game sealed the win.
- Coaches and teammates credit offseason work after the Jan. 11 playoff loss to the Texans.
- Patrick Mahomes made several big plays, but Herbert answered each time.
Verified Facts
Herbert finished 25-for-34 for 318 yards and three touchdown passes, and he did not commit a turnover. The Chargers’ offense leaned on Herbert’s passing and late-game mobility; Quentin Johnston led the team with five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns, while Keenan Allen added seven catches for 68 yards.
The pivotal moment arrived with 2:14 remaining and the Chargers facing third-and-13. With Kansas City out of timeouts, Herbert recognized a man coverage look and, finding no spy on him, escaped the pocket, ran past the first-down marker and slid feet first to run out the clock and preserve a 27-21 lead.
This win ended Los Angeles’s seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs. Kansas City still produced explosive plays — including a fourth-down 49-yard completion to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and a 37-yard touchdown to Travis Kelce — but Herbert’s responses, including two touchdown throws in the second half, kept the Chargers ahead.
The season-opener followed a difficult playoff loss on Jan. 11 to the Houston Texans, when Herbert threw a career-high four interceptions and did not scramble. Teammates and coaches described the offseason as focused on addressing those shortcomings, including increased conditioning and situational improvisation work.
Context & Impact
Beating the Chiefs in a high-profile international game has immediate morale value for the Chargers and reinforces belief in Herbert’s capacity to perform against elite competition. Ending a seven-game skid against Kansas City removes a psychological hurdle that had persisted since Mahomes’s run of dominance.
Practically, the win gives Los Angeles momentum in a tough AFC West and sends a message about the Chargers’ ability to close games without turning the ball over. Herbert’s mix of accurate downfield passing and timely scrambling expands the playbook the Chargers can employ late in tight contests.
Still, one game does not guarantee a trend. Consistency will determine whether this performance is an inflection point or a single highlight. The Chargers will need sustained offensive line play and continued health among skill-position players to translate this showing into a deep playoff push.
“He’s a problem,”
Jim Harbaugh, Chargers head coach
Unconfirmed
- Whether Xavier Worthy’s exit (reported elsewhere) will affect his short-term availability is not fully confirmed in team injury reports at the time of this story.
- It remains uncertain if Herbert can maintain this level of creative playmaking on a weekly basis; longer-term trends will become clearer after several games.
Bottom Line
Herbert’s response to the playoff defeat was emphatic: a turnover-free, three-touchdown outing that gave the Chargers a signature win and ended a long losing streak to Kansas City. While promising, this performance should be viewed as an important step rather than definitive proof of sustained improvement.