After the Chargers (8-5) scored a field goal with 4:35 minutes left in the fourth quarter to take a 17-16 lead, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes marched his team down the field and built the drive with a decisive one Third down on tight end Travis Kelce with two minutes left.

From there, Kansas City put the ball in position for Matthew Wright to kick a 31-yard field goal for the win – a shot that bounced off the left upright but at an angle that still put the ball through the goalposts sent.

The Chargers players held their helmets in their hands on the field. Wright, the third kicker Kansas City used this season, made all four of his field goal attempts.

The Chargers trailed 13-0 at halftime but took a 14-point lead in the third quarter. The teams exchanged leads a combined five times, but Mahomes emerged victorious in the end, as he often does.

He has a career record of 35-5 against AFC West opponents, the best winning percentage in division games in NFL history with at least 30 starts. And Mahomes, in particular, has troubled the Chargers, improving to 10-2 in his career.

Against a Chargers defense that allowed the fewest points per game, Mahomes threw for 210 yards and a touchdown while being sacked three times. Kelce caught five passes for 45 yards.

“SNF“ Blog: Take a look back at how the game evolved

After the Chargers failed to score on all six drives in the first half, quarterback Justin Herbert underwent surgery after halftime and led his team to scores on all three drives in the second half. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown and was also sacked three times. But like every other Chiefs opponent this season that found itself in a close game late, the Chargers could only watch as Mahomes forced his team to victory in the final seconds.

Around the league

• Josh Allen had one of the greatest games in NFL history and still lost. The Buffalo Bills quarterback threw three touchdowns and ran for another three touchdowns – the first time in NFL history – and it wasn’t good enough as his team lost 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams. Buffalo fell to 10-3, while Los Angeles improved to 7-6.
• Anyone who wants to disparage the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings does so at their own risk. On Sunday, they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 against former quarterback Kirk Cousins. Vikings signalman Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns – three to Jordan Addison and two to Justin Jefferson – en route to a convincing victory.
• Two starting quarterbacks left the games early: Derek Carr of New Orleans and Aiden O’Connell of Las Vegas. Carr suffered a left hand injury and possible concussion in the fourth quarter of a 14-11 win against the New York Giants. O’Connell, meanwhile, was forced off with a knee injury in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.