content background top
news banner image

Gameday: Chargers vs Chiefs

Adjust font size small medium large   RSS feed
BoltLogo Gd Cheifs

San Diego Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008 1:15 PM Qualcomm Stadium
TV: KFMB | Radio: Rock 105.3 FM (Radio Network)
LISTEN LIVE - Windows / Real | Field Pass FAQ

Roster | Depth Chart | Injury Report | Blog

NFL.com Game Center
Gameday: Quarter-by-Quarter
Chiefs-Chargers Inactives


Week 10: CHARGERS VS. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS - The Chargers escaped with a 20-19 victory over the Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium, and for the third time this season, the game came down to the wire and was decided in the final seconds. San Diego improved to 4-5 on the season after safety Clinton Hart batted down the Chiefs’ two-point conversion attempt after they scored on a three-yard touchdown catch by Tony Gonzalez with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Bolts didn’t lead in the game until the fourth-quarter when Philip Rivers’ eight-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates gave them a 20-13 advantage with 6:55 remaining in the game.  Rivers passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns, but two costly interceptions kept the Chiefs alive. Kansas City got out to an early 7-0 lead when Tyler Thigpen completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradley. Twice in the second quarter, the Chargers drove deep into Chiefs’ territory, but settled for field goals. Late in the second quarter, Thigpen connected with Gonzalez on a 34-yard catch-and-run, allowing Kansas City to extend its lead to 13-6 just before halftime. A botched PAT attempt by the Chiefs would prove to be the difference in the game. The Chargers tied the game midway through the third quarter when Rivers punctuated an eight-play, 58-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd. San Diego’s defense held the Chiefs to just 27 yards and one first down in the third quarter. That defensive stand allowed Rivers to lead the Bolts on their longest drive of the season from a time of possession standpoint. Rivers capped off an 8:28, 14-play, 94-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Gates. Kansas City began their final drive at their own 40 with 3:00 minutes remaining and converted three third downs en route to Gonzalez’ three-yard touchdown grab that made it a one-point game. Hart spoiled the potential game-winning two-point play when he jumped in front of Gonzalez and knocked down Thigpen’s pass. Hart’s stellar play preserved the Chargers lead and ultimately sealed the victory.

Chargers and Chiefs Postgame Notes

  • Antonio Gates led the team and had a season-high eight catches today, including the ultimate game-winning touchdown catch, his team-leading sixth of the season…Gates has a touchdown catch in three of the team’s last four games.
  • Malcom Floyd had his third touchdown catch of the season and all three have come in the last four games.
  • LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 78 yards today, raising his career total to 11,279…in doing so, he moved past O.J. Simpson (11,236) and Corey Dillon (11.241) and into 15th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. John Riggins ranks 14th with 11,352.
  • Philip Rivers passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns today, his fourth 300-yard game of the season today and his third in the last four games…since Oct. 5 at Miami, Rivers has passed for 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns…coming into this season, Rivers had only passed for over 300 yards a total of four times during his career.
  • Rivers completed 75 percent of his passes today (27 of 36), his third game of the season (New York Jets and Buffalo) with a completion percentage of .750 or above.
  • Rivers also finished the day with a 96.5 passer rating, leaving his season rating at 106.3, which leads the NFL.
  • The Chargers had exactly 400 yards of total offense today, their third 400-yard game in the last four games.
  • San Diego’s game-winning touchdown drive went 14 plays, 94 yards and 8:24…it was the team’s longest touchdown drive of the season in terms of plays and time of possession, and its second-longest of the season in terms of total yards…Rivers completed all eight of his passes on that drive for 75 yards and the touchdown to Gates.
  • This was the Chargers’ fourth win over the Chiefs in the last five games between the teams in San Diego…the Chargers narrowed the gap in the all-time series to 50-46-1…it was the first one-point game in the series since 2002, a game the Chargers also won by a score of 35-34.
  • Kansas City scored an offensive touchdown in the first quarter today, ending the Chargers streak of regular-season games without allowing a first quarter touchdown at 11.

The Matchup

The Chargers finally return home after nearly a month since their last game at Qualcomm Stadium to face their divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, at 1:15 p.m. PST on Sunday, Nov. 9. CBS will televise the game with Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker calling the action.

A taxing two-week road-trip to Buffalo, New York to face the Bills, and London, England to face the New Orleans Saints, left the Chargers sitting at 3-5, one game behind Denver for top billing in the AFC West.  

After a well-deserved bye, the Bolts are looking to challenge their rivals in the hotly-contested AFC West race.

The Chargers have won four of their last five games coming off their bye week, and five of the last seven, putting them right at .500 overall (9-9) following the break. The Bolts are hoping that bodes well for them as they try to jump start their season against the Chiefs this Sunday. The Chargers will also be looking to avenge last year’s 30-16 loss to the Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers caught a break last weekend as all of their fellow AFC West opponents lost at home. Denver fell to Miami, 26-17; Oakland lost to Atlanta, 24-0; and the Chiefs dropped a heartbreaker in overtime, 30-27, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. San Diego will play five of its final eight games at home, including a Dec. 28 season-ending rematch with Denver.

The Series

Two of the original eight AFL teams, the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs have been rivals since the formation of the league in 1960. They’ve faced each another 96 times, including once in the postseason. It’s been a closely-contested series with the Chiefs holding a slight 50-45-1 series edge. The Chargershave won five of the last eight overall and three of the last four games at home against the Chiefs.

What to look for

The Chargers to  get back into AFC West play for the first time in five weeks. The Bolts are currently 1-1 in the division and this Sunday marks their first home game against an AFC West opponent. They’ll face the Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium on Dec. 4 and the Broncos on Dec. 28. Since 2004, the Chargers are 19-7 in AFC West games, including 10-2 in AFC West home games.

The Chargers are 2-1 at home this season, and after a grueling two-game road trip, look for the Bolts to capitalize on home-field advantage. They’ve won 17 of their last 19 regular-season games at Qualcomm Stadium.

Great football in November. Since 2004, the Chargers are 12-2 in games played in the month of November.


What to look for on offense

Quarterback Philip Rivers is the NFL’s top-rated passer (107.8). Rivers, who is completing over 60 percent of his passes, has  thrown at least three touchdowns in six contests this season. Look for him to continue his aerial assault with targets such as tight end Antonio Gates. Gates has eight career touchdowns against the Chiefs, the most against any single opponent for the All-Pro tight end. Gates also leads all NFL tight ends with five touchdowns in ’08.

Look for LaDainian Tomlinson to have his second consecutive 100-yard rushing effort in ‘08, and his fourth straight against Kansas City. The All-Pro running back rushed for 105 yards on 19 carries against New Orleans in Week 8, his first 100-yard game since Sept. 28 against Oakland, when he registered 106 yards on 20 carries. For his career, Tomlinson rushed for 1,261 yards and 10 touchdowns against the Chiefs, including a career-long 85-yarder in 2006.

Another big receiving day from Vincent Jackson. Jackson leads the team with 30 catches and 538 receiving yards. He’s also averaging nearly 18 yards per catch. Look for the big-play receiver to have his fourth consecutive game with at least three or more catches and a touchdown. Should he achieve this feat, it will mark the first time in his four-year career when he’s seen the end zone in four straight games.

The Chargers rank seventh in the NFL with 246.4 passing yards per game. Conversely, the Chiefs are allowing nearly 225 passing yards per game this season, 11th most in the NFL. 

What to look for on defense

Ron Rivera takes over for Ted Cottrell as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. The Bolts haven’t recorded a sack or an interception in their last two games, though their 17 team sacks are the same total they had through eight games last year. And the unit has recorded just 11 takeaways compared to 21 through eight games last year. Led by Pro Bowl tackle Jamal Williams and OLB Shaun Phillips, look for the Chargers to be particularly fired up at home.

The Chargers’ defense has not allowed a first-quarter touchdown at home in its last 11 regular-season games.

What to look for on special teams

Darren Sproles is one of the most dangerous return men in the NFL. He is averaging 27.2 yards on kickoff returns and 12.5 yards on punt returns, making him one of only two return men in the NFL to rank among the top 10 in both categories. Punter Mike Scifres continues to rank among the league’s best in key categories, including the No. 1 spot in net average (42.7). Both earned Midseason All-Pro Honors from Pro Football Weekly.

Pro Bowl special teamer Kassim Osgood is having another solid campaign. Jarrett Bell of USA Today  recently selected Osgood to his Midseason All-Star team.

Notable Connections

  • Assistant secondary coach Kevin Ross was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Chiefs during his 10 seasons in Kansas City (1984-93).
  • Strength and conditioning coach Jeff Hurd held the same position with the Chiefs from 1998-06.
  • Wide receivers coach Charlie Joiner spent the 2001-07 seasons as Kansas City’s wide receivers coach.
  • Director of college scouting Jimmy Raye was an offensive assistant and quality control coach for the Chiefs in 1995.
  • Tight end Kris Wilson was a second-round pick of the Chiefs in 2004.
  • Tight end Brandon Manumaleuna’s dad, Frank, played linebacker for the Chiefs from 1979-81.
  • Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards is a native of Chula Vista and played with the Chargers from 2002-06.
  • Chiefs offensive tackle Damion McIntosh was drafted by the Chargers and played four seasons in San Diego (2000-03).
  • Chargers running back/return specialist Darren Sproles is a native of Olathe, Kansas and attended Kansas State University…offensive tackle Jeromey Clary also played college ball for the Wildcats.
  • Kansas City President, GM and CEO Carl Peterson grew up in Long Beach, California and graduated from UCLA…he later became the wide receivers coach at UCLA from 1974-75.
  • Herm Edwards is a native of Monterey, Calif…he played collegiately at San Diego State, and his son Marcus recently graduated from SDSU.
  • Vice President for Football Operations Lynn Stiles was an administrative assistant at UCLA from 1974-75.
  • Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham was the defensive line coach for the Chargers from 1985-90…he was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Raiders from 1991-94.
Television & Radio

CBS Sports –  Gus Johnson (play-by play) and Steve Tasker  (analyst) – KFMB-TV, Ch 8 (San Diego); KCBS-TV, Ch 2 (Los Angeles and Orange County)

 CHARGERS RADIO NETWORK – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Hank Bauer (analyst) and Jim Laslavic (sidelines) - ROCK 105.3 FM (San Diego); KLAC 570 AM (Los Angeles and Orange County) KTMQ 103.3 FM (San Bernardino, Temecula and Riverside); KGEO 1230 AM (Bakersfield); KNWH 1250 AM (Yucca Valley); KNWQ 1140 AM (Palm Springs); KNWZ 970 AM (Coachella Valley); KOSS 1380 AM (Palmdale and Lancaster); KSPA 1510 AM (Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and the Inland Empire); KWDJ 1360 AM (Ridgecrest); ESPN 1100 AM (Las Vegas, Nevada); KXO 1230 AM (Imperial Valley and Yuma, Arizona); Sirius Satellite Radio

SPANISH RADIO – Jorge Villanueva (play-by-play) and Adrian Garcia (analyst) - XHFG 107.3 FM (San Diego); KWKW 1330 AM (Los Angeles and Orange County)



NFL.com: Chiefs at Chargers | Your Take






Back to top
Final Mark 1-877-CHARGERS

Privacy Policy | Search | Help | Contact Us | Employment | Internships | Partnership Opportunities | Media © 1960-2008 San Diego Chargers. All Rights Reserved.
Do not duplicate in any form without prior receipt of written permission from the San Diego Chargers.