NFL Game Summary - San Diego at Kansas City
(Monday, October 31st)
Final Score: Kansas City 23, San Diego 20 (OT)
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Ryan Succop booted a 30-yard field goal in
overtime to give the Kansas City Chiefs a gift-wrapped 23-20 victory over the
San Diego Chargers.
San Diego, trailing the entire game, was in position to go ahead in the final
minute of regulation before Philip Rivers fumbled a snap exchange -- the
quarterback's third turnover.
The Chargers went three-and-out on the first possession of OT, and Matt Cassel
completed a pair of third-down passes to keep Kansas City moving on its touch.
Eventually, Succop split the uprights on the game-winner with 5:16 remaining
to send the Chiefs (4-3) to their fourth straight win and San Diego (4-3) to
its second straight loss.
The division rivals are tied atop the AFC West with the Oakland Raiders.
"It was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't believe that
matters," Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. "They believed they were going to
win that game and they made it go their way."
Cassel completed 19-of-32 attempts for 261 yards while tossing two
interceptions and losing a fumble. But the signal-caller came up big when it
counted, most notably hitting Steve Breaston for a 17-yard gain on 3rd-and-14
in the extra session.
Jackie Battle carried the ball 19 times for 70 yards, including a one-yard
plunge three minutes into the fourth quarter to extend the hosts' lead to
20-12.
Rivers, who ended with 369 yards and two interceptions, relied on Curtis
Brinkley on the ensuing 10-play, 80-yard drive with starter Ryan Mathews
sidelined with a groin injury.
Brinkley caught a 20-yard pass to get down to the Kansas City two-yard line
and punched it in from there with 7:11 showing. The seldom-used back then
caught Rivers' two-point conversion pass to tie it.
Kansas City failed to gain a first down, and the Chargers drove to the Chiefs'
15-yard line, well within Nick Novak's field goal range, with a minute to
play. Rivers, though, fumbled the snap, and linebacker Andy Studebaker came up
with the pigskin out of the scrum.
"It looked like Philip got a little anxious and came out [of the snap
exchange] early," Chargers head coach Norv Turner said. "We were in position
to kick the game-winning field goal and it didn't happen."
The Chiefs entered enemy territory with time winding down, but Cassel threw an
interception to ensure overtime.
Succop opened the scoring with a 36-yard kick six minutes into the opening
quarter. Following Rivers' second interception of the frame, Cassel connected
with Jonathan Baldwin on a 39-yard bomb for the rookie's first touchdown.
Novak booted a 44-yard field goal midway through the third to get San Diego on
the board, but missed a 52-yarder wide right with 71 seconds left in the half.
Breaston's 21-yard grab a little later set up Succop's 47-yard boot for a 13-3
cushion heading to the break.
The third quarter featured three San Diego field goals (44, 42 and 26 yards by
Novak) and one Kansas City first down.
Game Notes
San Diego's Mike Tolbert did not play due to a hamstring issue...Mathews
gained 112 yards from scrimmage before suffering the injury...Brinkley's TD
was the Chargers' first in the fourth quarter in five games...San Diego's
Malcom Floyd led all receivers with 107 yards on five receptions...Baldwin had
team-highs of five catches for 82 yards...Tamba Hali had two sacks for the
Chiefs, who had lost in San Diego in Week 3.
11/01 01:12:12 ET
Powered by The Sports Network.
|