On Sunday, November 24, 2013, the Kansas City Chiefs were 9-1 and favored by 3½ points at home against a San Diego Chargers team that was 4-6. The teams combined for 79 points, the lead changed seven times in the second half alone, and the winner was not decided until the last two minutes. Philip Rivers threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Seyi Ajirotutu with the clock showing 31 seconds at the snap, and San Diego won 41-38.
It was the Chiefs’ second straight loss after a 9-0 start. A week earlier they had lost 27-17 in Denver.
A back-and-forth first half
The game was played at Arrowhead Stadium on a 24-degree day with a light 3 mph wind. Kansas City’s first two possessions ended with San Diego sacking Alex Smith on third down, even after a 21-yard pass interference penalty gave the Chiefs a first down on their opening series. The Chargers then marched down the field, and Nick Novak kicked a 30-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 from the Kansas City 12 for a 3-0 lead.
The Chiefs answered with their own long drive. On third-and-11 from the San Diego 32, Smith threw deep left to Donnie Avery, who caught it in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown with 1:43 left in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Avery caught a 36-yard pass on second-and-7 from the Chiefs’ 43, and Jamaal Charles ran 7 yards up the middle for a touchdown that made it 14-3 with 3:08 left in the half.
San Diego did not wait for the second half. On one drive Rivers threw to Keenan Allen four times, for 11, 13, 9 and 16 yards, the last one to the Kansas City 11. With 22 seconds left, he hit Danny Woodhead for an 11-yard touchdown. The Chiefs went into the break leading 14-10, and Smith took a knee to end the half.
| Time | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter, 6:15 | Nick Novak kicks a 30-yard field goal | Chargers 3, Chiefs 0 |
| 1st quarter, 1:43 | Alex Smith throws 32 yards to Donnie Avery for a touchdown | Chiefs 7, Chargers 3 |
| 2nd quarter, 3:08 | Jamaal Charles runs 7 yards for a touchdown | Chiefs 14, Chargers 3 |
| 2nd quarter, 0:22 | Philip Rivers throws 11 yards to Danny Woodhead for a touchdown | Chiefs 14, Chargers 10 |
| 3rd quarter, 12:20 | Ryan Mathews runs 1 yard for a touchdown | Chargers 17, Chiefs 14 |
| 3rd quarter, 9:04 | Charles runs 1 yard for a touchdown | Chiefs 21, Chargers 17 |
| 3rd quarter, 5:31 | Woodhead runs 3 yards for a touchdown | Chargers 24, Chiefs 21 |
| 3rd quarter, 2:17 | Smith throws 4 yards to Anthony Fasano for a touchdown | Chiefs 28, Chargers 24 |
| 4th quarter, 12:34 | Novak kicks a 30-yard field goal | Chiefs 28, Chargers 27 |
| 4th quarter, 9:35 | Ryan Succop kicks a 25-yard field goal | Chiefs 31, Chargers 27 |
| 4th quarter, 8:00 | Rivers throws 60 yards to Ladarius Green for a touchdown | Chargers 34, Chiefs 31 |
| 4th quarter, 1:28 | Smith throws 5 yards to Dwayne Bowe for a touchdown | Chiefs 38, Chargers 34 |
| 4th quarter, 0:31 | Rivers throws 26 yards to Seyi Ajirotutu for a touchdown | Chargers 41, Chiefs 38 |
Four lead changes in the third quarter
The third quarter turned the game into a shootout. San Diego took the opening kickoff to its own 28 and faced third-and-10, and Rivers threw to Eddie Royal for a 54-yard gain to the Kansas City 18. Two runs by Ryan Mathews, the second for 13 yards, set up his 1-yard touchdown run, and the Chargers led 17-14.
Kansas City got back in front with the help of the officials’ flags. On one drive, three pass interference penalties on San Diego defenders, for 13, 28 and 1 yards, gave the Chiefs 42 free yards and a first down at the 1. Charles scored from there, and it was 21-17 with 9:04 left in the third quarter.
Then came Smith’s one interception. On third-and-10 from his own 12, he threw deep right for Avery, the ball was tipped by cornerback Shareece Wright, and Marcus Gilchrist intercepted it and returned it 17 yards to the Kansas City 16. Rivers hit Green for 13 yards, and Woodhead ran 3 yards for the touchdown that put San Diego back in front, 24-21.
The Chiefs needed only one more drive to take the lead. Charles ran for 14 yards, Smith threw 22 yards to Anthony Jenkins on third-and-5 and 14 yards to Dexter McCluster, and he found Fasano for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:17 left in the quarter. San Diego used the remaining time to move to the Kansas City 11 as the quarter ended, trailing 28-24.
Field goals, a 60-yard play and a Chiefs lead
The Chargers could not get into the end zone from there. They had first-and-4 at the Kansas City 4, but a 1-yard run by Woodhead, a holding penalty on the next play and two incomplete passes left them with fourth-and-13, and Novak kicked a 30-yard field goal to make it 28-27.
Charles then took over. He ran for 10 yards and then 46 yards to the San Diego 8, but the Chiefs could not score a touchdown. After another 3-yard run, Smith lost 2 yards on a pass to Fasano and threw incomplete on third-and-7, and Succop kicked a 25-yard field goal on fourth-and-7 for a 31-27 lead with 9:35 left.
San Diego answered on its next possession. On third-and-2 from its own 40, Rivers threw a short pass over the middle to tight end Ladarius Green, who caught it short and gained 54 yards after the catch. He ran through the Kansas City defense for a 60-yard touchdown with 8:00 left, and the Chargers led 34-31.
The last five minutes
The Chiefs punted from their own 36 on fourth-and-10 with 5:54 left, and San Diego gained 4 yards on three plays and punted back with 4:04 left after using a timeout. McCluster returned the punt 18 yards to the Kansas City 45.
From there Smith moved the Chiefs quickly. He threw 8 yards to McCluster and 12 to Avery, Charles caught a pass for 19 yards and McCluster took one 11 yards to the San Diego 5. After a Kansas City timeout with 1:28 left, Smith threw 5 yards to Bowe over the middle for a touchdown, and Succop’s extra point made it 38-34.
San Diego had 1:22 and all three of its second-half timeouts. Rivers’ first two passes fell incomplete, and he converted third-and-10 with a 12-yard pass to Antonio Gates. Woodhead then caught passes of 19 and 14 yards, the second to the Kansas City 33. A 12-yard pass interference penalty on Eric Berry put the ball on the 21, but Berry also sacked Rivers for a 5-yard loss, and San Diego took its last timeout with 31 seconds left.
On second-and-15 from the Kansas City 26, Rivers threw deep left for Ajirotutu, who caught the ball in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. The completion was reviewed and stood, and Novak’s extra point made it 41-38 with 24 seconds left.
The Chiefs had one more chance. Smith completed an 11-yard pass to Avery, and then Kendall Reyes sacked him for a 3-yard loss. With 5 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, Smith threw to Bowe, who caught it at the Kansas City 38 and lateraled to Hemingway. The ball came loose, and Eric Weddle recovered it as time ran out.
| Chargers | Chiefs | |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 41 | 38 |
| Total yards | 491 | 396 |
| Net passing yards | 387 | 281 |
| Rushing yards | 104 on 27 carries | 115 on 17 carries |
| Third downs | 7 of 15 | 3 of 9 |
| Fourth-down tries | 1 of 1 | 0 |
| Sacks allowed | 1 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 (an interception and a fumble) |
Rivers completed 27 of 39 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Keenan Allen, a rookie, caught nine passes for 124 yards, Royal had four for 87, Green three for 80 and Woodhead four for 45 and a touchdown. Woodhead also ran six times for 25 yards and a score, and Mathews carried 14 times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Smith completed 26 of 38 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, and was sacked three times. Charles ran 14 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 42 yards. Avery had four catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, McCluster caught seven for 59, Bowe had five for 51 and a score, and Fasano scored on one of his four catches.
Our guide to where penalties are enforced explains why a defensive pass interference call can move the ball 28 yards in one play, and the guide to timeouts covers how both teams managed the clock at the end. The final play also shows why the lateral rules matter in a last-second scramble.
What came next
The Chiefs fell to 9-2 on the day, and Denver lost 34-31 in overtime at New England, so the two teams were both 9-2 in the AFC West. Kansas City then lost 35-28 to Denver at Arrowhead on December 1 and went 2-4 in its last six games, finishing 11-5 as a wild card. The Chiefs lost 45-44 at Indianapolis in the wild-card round after leading by 28 points in the third quarter.
San Diego, 5-6 after the win, won four of its last five regular-season games and finished 9-7. It beat Kansas City again, 27-24 in overtime at home on December 29, which helped the Chargers into the last playoff spot in the AFC. They then won 27-10 at Cincinnati in the wild-card round, and lost 24-17 at Denver in the divisional round.
The two teams have already met once in 2026. Kansas City won 22-6 on October 18, and the Chargers, now 0-7 and the league’s only winless team, lost 24-9 to the Rams on November 1. The Chiefs and Chargers play again in Week 17, on Sunday, January 3, 2027, in Los Angeles. Read the Week 8 Rams recap for where the Chargers stand now.
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