Chiefs overcome loss of Rashee Rice with late touchdown to defeat Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs came retired with a precocious triumph implicit their AFC West foe Los Angeles Chargers connected Sunday, 17-10, but they suffered a immense nonaccomplishment successful the crippled that could perchance beryllium precise superior moving forward. 

Wide receiver Rashee Rice, the NFL's starring receiver done the archetypal 3 weeks of the season, was carted disconnected the tract aft a Patrick Mahomes interception led to the backmost accidentally plowing into his favourite target's genu arsenic helium tried to tackle the Chargers' defender who picked him off. 

Rice was down connected the tract and successful sizeable pain. As helium was taken distant connected a cart, helium had a towel implicit his look and his hands connected his head, which is ne'er a bully motion erstwhile it comes to genu injuries. 

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Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton, left, fumbles the shot retired of bounds aft intercepting a walk arsenic Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) defends during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot game, Sept. 29, 2024, successful Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Head manager Andy Reid said aft the triumph that the squad volition hold to spot what Rice's MRI says, but it doesn't look they're expecting thing good. Multiple reports accidental the Chiefs fearfulness Rice has a torn ACL, which would beryllium a monolithic stroke for the discourtesy the remainder of the way. 

"I consciousness unspeakable for Rashee," helium told reporters. "… We volition anticipation for the best."

If a season-ending wounded is the case, the Chiefs would beryllium without Rice, Hollywood Brown, who was mislaid for the play earlier adjacent taking a drawback with Kansas City, and Isiah Pacheco, who is rehabbing from a fractured fibula. 

PATRICK MAHOMES ACCIDENTALLY LEVELS RASHEE RICE AFTER INTERCEPTION; CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVER OUT FOR GAME

It's a pugnacious interruption for the Chiefs, but conscionable similar this game, they simply request the adjacent feline to measurement up to find wins. 

The Chargers, a squad that was severely banged up heading into this contest, saw the Chiefs driving successful the 4th fourth successful a 10-10 crippled aft they forced a three-and-out connected Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense. Herbert battled done his ankle wounded to play connected Sunday, though helium did look constricted successful his scope of movement.

After a 29-yard reception from choky extremity Noah Gray, the Chiefs recovered themselves a fewer plays aboriginal connected first-and-goal from the two-yard enactment with 6:04 to play successful the quarter. That’s erstwhile Samaje Perine, 1 of the 3 moving backs Reid deployed connected Sunday, busted into the extremity portion to springiness the Chiefs the pb late. 

There was much than capable clip for the Chargers to operate, but Herbert, having occupation sustaining drives each game, wasn’t capable to get the occupation done. Los Angeles was forced to punt, and they would ne'er get the shot back. The Chiefs ran retired the timepiece aft Xavier Worthy, the team’s rookie speedster, picked up 15 yards connected 3rd-and-6 to get the archetypal down needed to kneel it out. 

With Rice down, Mahomes relied connected Worthy’s blazing velocity to seizure the team’s archetypal touchdown of the game, and it was a highlight-reel play arsenic the backmost utilized each of his limb to motorboat a 54-yard onslaught to Worthy successful the extremity zone. 

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with linebacker Leo Chenal aft catching a 54-yard touchdown walk successful the 2nd 4th against the Los Angeles Chargers astatine SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

That made it a 10-7 crippled successful favour of Los Angeles, whose lone touchdown came connected their opening possession aft a fumble by the Chiefs 4 plays into the game. Herbert went 10 plays and 74 yards to find his rookie receiver, Ladd McConkey, successful the backmost of the extremity portion connected an implicit dot that lone his feline could snag from 7 yards out. 

But portion the Chiefs battled turnovers, the Chargers simply couldn’t get things going arsenic Herbert was pressured successful the pouch with his 2 starting tackles, Rashawn Slater and rookie Joe Alt, some out. 

Herbert completed 16 of his 27 attempts for 179 yards with 1 touchdown and nary interceptions, and Mahomes had 245 yards connected 19 of 29 with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. 

Seven of those completed passes by Mahomes went to choky extremity Travis Kelce, who yet had a get-right crippled aft totaling conscionable 69 yards successful his archetypal 3 games. He led the crippled with 89 yards connected those catches and Worthy had 3 for 73 yards. 

Also, the instrumentality of Kareem Hunt successful a Chiefs azygous was large to spot if you’re a Kansas City fan, arsenic helium amassed 85 yards from scrimmage and appeared to cement his relation arsenic the team’s starring moving backmost with Pacheco out. He had 14 carries for 69 yards, portion Perine and Steele combined for 7 connected the day.  

It wasn’t beauteous by either team, but erstwhile again, it was the Chiefs doing the close things successful the 4th fourth to travel distant with the victory. 

Kansas City Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes throws the shot successful the archetypal 4th against the Los Angeles Chargers astatine SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

They stay undefeated, but the Chiefs volition request to spot contributions from everyone with Rice not expected to beryllium backmost this season. 

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Meanwhile, the Chargers privation to get steadfast themselves arsenic they’re 2-2 aft a 2-0 commencement to the caller season.

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