Chiefs drop final regular season game to Chargers without Mahomes, key starters

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WIBW) - With Chad Henne at the helm under center Sunday, the Chiefs closed the regular season 14-2 with a loss to the Chargers, 38-21.

With the Chiefs having locked in a number-one seed and first-round by in the playoffs, the team opted to rest QB Patrick Mahomes, WR Tyreek Hill, WR Sammy Watkins, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, S Tyrann Mathieu, LB Ben Niemann and OT Mike Remmers.

Henne put the Chiefs on the board first with a three-yard TD pass to K-State alum Byron Pringle.

CHAD HENNE THROWS A TOUCHDOWN PASS TO BYRON PRINGLE pic.twitter.com/rrAXLWd2m9
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 3, 2021

The Chargers answered with an 8-yard score from Justin Herbert to Donald Parham Jr. to tie things up at 7-7 at the end of the first.

Kansas City again took the lead with a 1-yd rushing score from Darwin Thompson. Herbert found Austin Ekeler for a 4-yd score to tie the game with 9:51 in the second quarter.

Isaac Rochell sacked Henne for a safety to take the lead, 16-14. Herbert scored on a one-yard keeper, then completed a two-point conversion attempt to Justin Jackson to take a 24-14 lead going into halftime.

The Chargers scored the lone TD of the third quarter with 47 seconds left with a 48-yd score from Herbert to Mike Williams to expand the Chargers lead to 17.

Henne found Thompson for an 8-yd TD to pull the Chiefs closer, 31-21 with 11:49. The Chargers answered with a 1-yd score from Kalen Ballage to once again grow their lead to 17 with 8:09 remaining.

The Chiefs 14 regular season wins marks a franchise best. After their first-round playoff bye, the team will be back in action the week of Jan. 11.