Sao Paulo (AFP) – Justin Herbert out-dueled Patrick Mahomes to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in Sao Paulo on Friday. Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. His 32 rushing yards included 19 for a late first down that sealed victory against a Chiefs team known for their ability to come back.
But Mahomes couldn’t work his trademark magic in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 49,000-seat Corinthians Arena, where the NFL returned for a second straight year for the first of its International Series games. Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston with a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Chargers up 27-18 with 5:02 remaining. Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within 27-21 with 2:34 remaining, but that was the last chance they would get as the Chargers turned their final drive into a victory march.
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“By any means, just got to go make a play,” Herbert said. “That’s what we’ve coached and that’s what we’ve talked about and at the end of the day it was a fun play. Got down and got the win.”
It was a rough start for the Chiefs to a 2025 campaign in which they are aiming to return to the Super Bowl for a fourth straight year – and regain the title after the Philadelphia Eagles ended their two-season reign in February. The Chargers finished runner-up to the Chiefs in the AFC West division last year but lost in the wild card round of the playoffs.
“Just another game for us,” Herbert said. “We came out here, executed, did what we needed to.” Mahomes threw for 258 yards and a touchdown and ran for a TD, but Kansas City never led. They suffered a blow on the opening drive when talented second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce. The Chargers then marched 68 yards in seven plays in a drive capped by Herbert’s five-yard TD pass to Johnston.
– Chiefs offense struggles –
The Chiefs offense was sputtering, putting up just 33 total yards in the first quarter with three punts and only two first downs. The Chargers stretched their lead to 10-0 on Cameron Dicker’s 39-yard field goal at 13:47 of the second period. On the ensuing possession, Mahomes piloted a 16-play 49-yard drive capped by a Butker 35-yard field goal. Two fourth-down conversions kept the drive alive, but Kansas City’s hopes of a touchdown were scuppered when Mahomes was sacked by Daiyan Henley on third-and-goal.
Chargers mistakes gifted Kansas City one more chance with 45 seconds left in the first half. The Chiefs put together a rapid-fire drive capped by Butker’s 59-yard field goal that cut the halftime deficit to 13-6. Mahomes scrambled 11 yards for a touchdown early in the third, but Butker missed the extra point attempt to leave the Chiefs down at 13-12. Herbert then found Keenan Allen for a touchdown that pushed Los Angeles’ lead to 20-12. Kansas City would close within two on Kelce’s 37-yard catch and run TD, but they couldn’t get over the hump.
A festive night that featured a jazz-tinged version of the US national anthem and halftime show by Colombian star Karol G drew luminaries including Brazilian footballer Neymar and three-time surf champion Gabriel Medina. It was streamed globally on YouTube, all part of a bid by the NFL – which boasted $23 billion in revenue last year – to expand its global footprint. This season the league will play seven games in cities outside the United States with contests in Dublin, London, Berlin, and Madrid, as well as Sao Paulo. Melbourne will join in 2026.
© 2024 AFP
