KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The San Diego Chargers have a little luck. Even better, they have Philip Rivers.
After their onside kick bounced off Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe’s chest and Kassim Osgood recovered for San Diego, Rivers needed just four plays Sunday to complete one of the most stirring comebacks of the season.
With 1:13 left, Rivers hit Malcom Floyd with a 4-yard TD pass.
Then his 10-yarder to Vincent Jackson with 36 seconds to go lifted the Chargers to a 22-21 victory over the stunned Chiefs, who led 21-3 in the third quarter.
“We never stopped believing,” Chargers tackle Marcus McNeill said. “I think (the Chiefs) thought they had the game won when the clock was low in the fourth quarter. But we knew if we got another chance that we were going to go down there and score.”
San Diego has beaten Kansas City twice this year by a total of two points.
After their try for a two-point conversion failed, the Chargers (6-8) still needed a fateful turn.
Aided by a delay-of-game penalty, the Chiefs (2-12) tried a 50-yard field goal on the final play. Connor Barth, who had been 9-for-9 before missing a 34-yarder in the first half, was wide left.
“I’m kind of speechless. Don’t know what to say,” Barth said. “There’s no excuse.”
Rivers, who came in with an NFL-best 102.0 passer rating, was 34-for-48 for 346 yards and two touchdowns.
A loss would have officially eliminated San Diego’s slender playoff hopes.
The Chiefs will have to win their final two games to avoid setting a franchise record for fewest wins in a 16-game season.
Losing a 21-3 lead is not even the worst thing that’s befallen the Chiefs in this miserable season. Against Tampa Bay, they squandered a 24-3 advantage, a team record.
