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The Kansas City Chiefs remain the team to beat in the AFC West. They made that clear Thursday night in Kansas City, Mo., as they rallied to overcome the Los Angeles Chargers, <a href="http://stats.washingtonpost.com/fb/boxscore.asp?gamecode=20220915012&home=12&vis=24&final=true" target=_blank>27-24</a>, in a rugged game at Arrowhead Stadium that marked the beginning of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/15/amazon-prime-nfl/" target=_blank>the NFL’s streaming gamble on Amazon</a>.

But what was already a bad night for the Chargers could turn out to be far worse, if the injury suffered by third-year quarterback Justin Herbert keeps him sidelined for more than the one play he missed Thursday.

NFL best bets for Week 2: Time to fade the Broncos

Herbert returned to the field and showed his fortitude by throwing a late touchdown pass. But he clearly was bothered by what the Chargers called an abdominal or possible rib injury. Herbert reportedly underwent X-rays following the game but was not made available to reporters. The Chargers provided few immediate details about his condition.

“He’s okay,” Chargers Coach Brandon Staley said <a href="https://twitter.com/chargers/status/1570625062402949120" target=_blank>in his postgame news conference</a>. “It was a tough game, and you’re not going to see a quarterback at any level of football play tougher and do more for their team and will their team to give them a chance. ... There’s nobody that can do what he can do. Nobody. He showed a lot of guts. He showed us what he shows every day, that we’re never out of the fight. And he brought us back and gave us a chance.”

Staley was asked whether he was concerned about Herbert’s injury.

“No,” the second-year coach said. “No, because he’s Justin Herbert.”

The Chargers had better hope that’s enough. They just missed the AFC playoffs last season. They intend to take a significant step forward this season, following an active offseason in which they bolstered their defense by trading for pass rusher Khalil Mack and signing cornerback J.C. Jackson as a free agent. But that depends largely on Herbert continuing to develop into a league-MVP-caliber franchise cornerstone.

For these NFL starting quarterbacks, the seat is already getting hot

Herbert threw three touchdown passes and one very costly interception in a 33-for-48, 334-yard passing performance Thursday. He left the game in the fourth quarter after absorbing a heavy hit by Chiefs defensive end Michael Danna.

He was replaced by veteran backup Chase Daniel. The Chargers ran the ball on Daniel’s one play, then Herbert returned to the field. Later, he zipped a fourth-and-one pass to wide receiver DeAndre Carter for a 35-yard gain, followed by a seven-yard touchdown pass to wideout Josh Palmer on another fourth-down play.

That got the Chargers to within three points with a little more than a minute to play. But they had only one timeout remaining and the Chiefs, after recovering an onside kick, ran out the clock to improve to 2-0, a game ahead of the 1-1 Chargers in a division that promises to be the NFL’s best.

“We just hung around,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in his postgame news conference. “I think that’s the biggest thing. The defense kept us in the game. On offense, we didn’t play our best football. And I think the defense, that was huge for them to keep us in that game, make some plays to get points on the board and then just give us a chance. I think with a young defense like that, to see that this early in the season, I think that’s going to carry us the rest of the way.”

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium for the first game carried by Amazon Prime under its deal with the league for the exclusive national rights to Thursday Night Football. (Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

It wasn’t one of those nights for the Chiefs when it all came easily on offense and Mahomes did everything but provide free two-day delivery. But they found a way.

Mahomes threw two touchdown passes. He also threw three would-be interceptions that were nullified by two penalties and an instant replay reversal.

“That’s a great defense,” Mahomes said during a postgame visit to the Amazon set. “And I’m glad some of those picks got dropped and some flags were thrown.”

His touchdown passes went to running back Jerick McKinnon and wide receiver Justin Watson. The Chiefs scored 20 straight points after trailing 17-7 in the third quarter. The difference-making play was provided by rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson, a seventh-round draft choice from Washington State. He scored a fourth-quarter touchdown with a 99-yard return after intercepting a pass by Herbert.

“It’s funny because his birthday is the same as mine, Saturday,” Mahomes told Amazon. “And I said I’ll have a birthday party but it’ll be his birthday party now.”

The Chiefs are vying to reach a fifth straight conference championship game. Their bid to play in a third consecutive Super Bowl last season fell one game short with a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/01/30/chiefs-bengals-afc/" target=_blank>loss to the Cincinnati Bengals</a>. This season is off to a solid start, as Mahomes has totaled seven touchdown passes and no interceptions through two games.

“I know he works,” Coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes in his postgame news conference. “As quarterbacks, it’s just like being a farmer. The work’s never over. You just keep working on something, all the way through your career. And when you stop, that’s when it goes downhill real fast. So he’s relentless with that stuff. He always wants to know what he can do to be better.”

But this game wasn’t about artistry. It was about the Chiefs persevering in a rough game that included tight end Travis Kelce being body-slammed to the turf on a tackle by Chargers safety Derwin James.

“I think it’s just the way we battled, the adversity that we kind of battled through in the beginning of the game,” Mahomes said in his Amazon interview. “The defense kept us in the game. The offense stepped up when we needed to. We ran the ball when we needed to. You never know with new teams if you’re going to be able to do that. To show that this early in the season, I think we can carry that going into the rest of it.”

<i>Continue reading for highlights from Thursday’s game.</i>

Justin Herbert and the Chargers aren’t done yet.

Herbert threw a seven-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Palmer.

The Chargers trail, 27-24, with 1:11 to play. They have only one timeout remaining and will have to attempt an onside kick.

Herbert had a 35-yard completion to wideout DeAndre Carter on an earlier fourth-and-one play.

Mark Maske

The Chiefs extended their lead with a 32-yard field goal by kicker Matt Ammendola.

They’ve scored 20 straight points and lead, 27-17, with 3:20 remaining.

Tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire provided a 52-yard run, and the Chargers were penalized for a face-mask violation on the play.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was injured on a fourth-quarter hit by Chiefs defensive end Michael Danna. Herbert left the game for one play and was replaced by backup Chase Daniel.

The Chargers did not immediately provide details about Herbert’s injury.

They ran the ball on Daniel’s one play. Herbert re-entered the game and threw two straight incompletions, leading to a Chargers’ punt.

The Chiefs, stunningly, have their first lead of the night on a touchdown by rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson on a 99-yard return after interception a Justin Herbert pass.

Watson, a seventh-round draft choice from Washington State, stepped in front of tight end Gerald Everett, as Herbert tried to throw a sidearm pass on a first-and-goal play from the 3-yard line. Herbert and Everett had different ideas, as Everett moved toward the outside and Herbert threw the ball toward the inside — right to Watson, as it turned out.

Watson maneuvered his way around Herbert and raced to the opposite end zone.

Everett had a 26-yard catch on the previous play. The Chiefs have scored 17 straight points since trailing, 17-7, in the third quarter.

The Chiefs tied the game at 17 with a 19-yard field goal by fill-in kicker Matt Ammendola on the opening snap of the fourth quarter, opting against a fourth-down attempt from the L.A. 1-yard line.

Coach Andy Reid had the break between quarters to make his decision. He went with Ammendola, who is doing the kicking for the Chiefs in this game with Harrison Butker sidelined by an ankle injury.

The Chiefs began the drive at the L.A. 36-yard line after the Chargers were forced to punt from their own end zone following a sack of Justin Herbert.

Patrick Mahomes had an 11-yard completion to wide receiver Mecole Hardman on a third-and-10 play.

The Chiefs got a first down at the 3-yard line on an 18-yard completion from Mahomes to tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce lost the football at the end of that play on a body-slam tackle by Chargers safety Derwin James. But the Chiefs retained possession, as Kelce was ruled down by contact before losing possession.

Patrick Mahomes, after having interceptions on consecutive plays earlier on the drive nullified, got the Chiefs closer with a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Justin Watson.

Mahomes stepped up in the pocket and launched an on-target throw to Watson, who beat Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson.

The Chargers had one interception of Mahomes negated by offsetting penalties. On the next play, another interception was overturned by an instant replay review that showed the ball hit the ground on a juggling attempt by Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

Including the two on this drive, three interceptions thrown by Mahomes in the game have been nullified, two by penalties.

The Chargers converted on fourth down en route to extending their lead to 17-7 on the opening drive of the second half.

Justin Herbert threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, who made a superb one-handed catch along the right sideline in the end zone.

With fellow wideout Keenan Allen sidelined by a hamstring injury, Williams is having a big game. He has eight catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers moved 75 yards in 11 plays. Tailback Austin Ekeler ran for three yards on fourth and one from the K.C. 18-yard line. Earlier on the drive, Herbert had completions of 18 yards to Ekeler and 14 yards to Williams.

The Chargers played the drive without center Corey Linsley. They called him questionable to return to the game because of a knee injury.

Chargers Chiefs Football

It’s Patrick Mahomes vs. Justin Herbert.

Even so, the defenses fared well in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Herbert’s Chargers lead Mahomes’s Chiefs, 10-7, at halftime Thursday night.

Herbert threw a one-yard touchdown pass to rookie fullback Zander Horvath as the Chargers scored the game’s first 10 points. Mahomes threw a dazzling nine-yard touchdown pass with a sidearm throw to running back Jerick McKinnon.

But it was a defensive show otherwise. There were no turnovers but the two teams combined for six punts, including four by the Chiefs.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos were shown sitting together to watch the game during the first half. (Bezos also owns The Washington Post.) This is the first game being carried by Amazon Prime under its deal with the NFL for exclusive national rights to Thursday Night Football.

The Chiefs finally got the offense moving and got on the board with a dazzling play by Patrick Mahomes for one of his signature touchdown passes.

Mahomes eluded the Chargers’ pass rush and moved forward on a first-down play from the L.A. 9-yard line.

From the far right sideline, Mahomes whipped a sidearm pass to running back Jerick McKinnon.

McKinnon made the catch and got into the end zone.

Mahomes had a 19-yard completion to tight end Travis Kelce on a third-and-four play to get the Chiefs a first down at the 9-yard line. Earlier, Mahomes had a 30-yard connection with wide receiver Mecole Hardman. A third-down interception thrown by Mahomes was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on the Chargers.

The Chargers have scored the game’s first 10 points.

They scored a touchdown on the opening play of the second quarter on a one-yard pass from Justin Herbert to rookie fullback Zander Horvath.

Herbert moved to his right and slipped a pass to Horvath in the end zone.

A 39-yard pass from Herbert to wide receiver Mike Williams gave the Chargers a first down at the K.C. 1-yard line. Tailback Sony Michel was stopped for no gain on a first-down carry on the final play of the first quarter.

The Chiefs are struggling on offense in the early going of this game.

They’ve had the ball twice and have punted twice.

They went three plays and out on their second offensive possession, as Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Chargers star pass rusher Khalil Mack. It was the fourth sack of the season for Mack in less than five quarters of play.

The Chargers have the early lead on Kansas City with a field goal on their opening offensive possession.

Kicker Dustin Hopkins connected from 31 yards.

Coach Brandon Staley, perhaps uncharacteristically, opted against a fourth-and-two attempt from the K.C. 13-yard line. Justin Herbert had an 11-yard completion to tight end Gerald Everett on a third-and-13 play just before the kick.

The Chiefs punted on the game’s first drive.

Is Amazon Prime worth it

When was the last time you thought about how much you pay for Amazon Prime?

More than 200 million people are Amazon Prime members. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/31/why-you-cannot-quit-amazon-prime-even-if-maybe-you-should/?itid=lk_inline_enhanced-template&itid=lk_inline_manual_116">cost of an Amazon Prime </a>membership shot up to $139 a year in the United States<b> </b>this year, from $119 before. (If you want to do smaller payments, it’s now $14.99 a month.) 

As Amazon airs its first Thursday Night Football game, let’s find out if you still benefit financially from the membership, or if there’s life after Prime. Answer the following questions and The Post can help you decide if it’s still worth paying for Amazon. We also share some tips on how you can pay less.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/amazon-prime-value/?itid=lk_inline_manual_118" target=_blank>Read the full story</a>

Heather Kelly

Rachel Lerman

Cornerback J.C. Jackson is active for the game for the Chargers and is expected to play.

Jackson made his return from ankle surgery last month and is set to make his Chargers debut. He signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers in free agency in March after four seasons with the New England Patriots.

He totaled 17 interceptions over the previous two seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl last season.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Donald Parham Jr. are on the Chargers’ inactive list. They’d previously been ruled out because of hamstring injuries.

The NFL continued to say this week that it has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/14/nfl-rankings-cowboys-broncos/?itid=lk_inline_manual_126" target=_blank>no specific viewership target</a> for the games Amazon Prime will stream this season as the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/15/amazon-prime-nfl/?itid=lk_inline_manual_126" target=_blank>new exclusive national carrier</a> of the “Thursday Night Football” package.

“Our expectation is that the rating very well may not reach what Fox got in its tri-cast model, at least not right away,” Jeff Miller, the league’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “Media habits are going to evolve. But we believe this is the right thing to do for the long term, whether or not the number is what Fox had received a year ago when they broadcast ‘Thursday Night Football.’”

With ‘Thursday Night Football’ on Amazon Prime, the NFL bets on streaming

The NFL is likening the move to a streaming-only format for the Thursday night games (each game will be televised only in the local markets of the participating teams) to its decision to give a package of games to ESPN in the 1980s.

“Moving to ESPN when they had 45 million cable subscribers in 1987 may have not resulted in the greatest possible audience in Week 1,” Miller said. “But we can certainly agree that our relationship with ESPN was beneficial to our fans over the long haul, and certainly to ESPN and us. And I think the same will hold true for Amazon when you look back at this after a little bit of time. But no question, our fans are going to have to find it. Their behaviors are going to change. And we think that this is really the right thing for us and for our fans as people’s behavior changes around how they consume content. So we’re really excited about it.”

The move comes as the NFL’s viewership numbers continue to soar. The league said total viewership of the opening-weekend games was more than 121 million, up 5 percent from last year. The Week 1 games averaged 18.5 million viewers.

The NFL’s requirement that linemen, tight ends and linebackers <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/19/nfl-guardian-caps-concussions/?itid=lk_inline_manual_133" target=_blank>wear protective Guardian Caps</a> over their helmets resulted in a sharp decrease in concussions suffered by players at those positions this summer, the league said.

Players in the designated position groups were required to wear the helmet caps during training-camp practices and through teams’ second preseason games.

According to the NFL, 11 players leaguewide at those positions suffered concussions while wearing the Guardian Caps. That was down from an average of 23 concussions per year among players at those positions in previous years, the NFL said.

“The benefits of the Guardian Cap exceeded our expectations so far,” Jeff Miller, the league’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

These puffy helmet caps are the next big thing in NFL player safety

According to the NFL, six of those 11 concussions resulted from blows to the players’ face masks, which the caps did not cover. The number of concussions players at other positions suffered was roughly in line with the average from previous years, the league said.

The NFL said that more than 200 players leaguewide continued to wear the caps in practices after the requirement expired.

“That is something that we and, I’m sure, the players themselves … find really important and rewarding as we think through what we want to do for next season,” Miller said. “And the research isn’t done. Our engineers [and] epidemiologists are looking at video. They’re looking at sensors to understand more about where the health savings were and why, so that we can tailor our offerings for next season. There were some issues with the cap, for sure, around fitting and sizing and such, and we’ll work with the manufacturer to fix those in the offseason. But overall it was a very positive story.”

Miller said the league will have discussions with experts and the NFL Players Association about future use of the caps.

Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, is on hand at Arrowhead Stadium for Thursday night’s Chargers-Chiefs game.

It is the first game being carried by Amazon Prime under its deal with the NFL for the exclusive national rights to “Thursday Night Football.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also is in attendance.

Justin Herbert

Two AFC West contenders square off Thursday night in Kansas City as the Chiefs host the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

It is a significant game for the NFL, which <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/15/amazon-prime-nfl/?itid=lk_inline_manual_153" target="_blank">launches its streaming-only experiment</a> after giving the exclusive national rights to the “Thursday Night Football” package to Amazon Prime. It is also a significant matchup on the field, as a well-established Super Bowl contender attempts to fend off an upstart trying to reach that status.

The Chiefs are vying to reach a fifth straight AFC championship game. Their bid to play in a third consecutive Super Bowl last season fell just short, as they lost in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/01/30/chiefs-bengals-afc/?itid=lk_inline_manual_154" target=_blank>in the AFC championship game</a>.

Kansas City traded standout wide receiver Tyreek Hill <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/23/tyreek-hill-trade-dolphins/?itid=lk_inline_manual_156" target=_blank>to the Miami Dolphins</a> in the offseason, creating concerns that its offense would not be as overpowering this season. There were no such issues Sunday, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-21 season-opening triumph at Arizona. Tight end Travis Kelce had eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the revamped wide receiver corps with six catches for 79 yards.

Matt Ammendola will fill in as the Chiefs’ kicker Thursday, with Harrison Butker sidelined because of an ankle injury.

The Chargers just missed the AFC playoffs last season. They’ll attempt to take a big step forward in quarterback Justin Herbert’s third NFL season. The Chargers were active in the offseason, trading <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/03/10/bears-trade-khalil-mack-chargers/?itid=lk_inline_manual_159" target=_blank>for pass rusher Khalil Mack</a> and signing cornerback J.C. Jackson as a free agent.

They began the season with a 24-19 victory Sunday in Inglewood, Calif., over the Las Vegas Raiders. Herbert threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Mack had three sacks.

But Herbert will be without a key receiver Thursday, with wideout Keenan Allen ruled out because of a hamstring injury.

In the lead-up to this NFL season, Amazon released promotional videos for its Thursday Night Football package about a new “Prime ball.” Star quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Matthew Stafford raved about a new football Amazon was set to roll out, more oblong and aerodynamic than the traditional ball. <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonPrime/status/1564687380644249601">Stafford casually tossed it 100 yards in one ad</a>.

The spots were convincing enough that several reporters inquired to the NFL: Was Amazon really introducing a new football?

Alas, no. But Amazon will air its first exclusive Thursday night football game this week, a marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, officially launching the NFL into the streaming era. The footballs will be regulation size, but fans outside of Kansas City and Los Angeles will need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game. That means that, for the first time, most NFL fans on Thursday night can’t pick up their remote and flip to the game on TV.

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/15/amazon-prime-nfl/?itid=lk_inline_manual_166" target=_blank>Read the full story here.</a>

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, owns The Washington Post.

Ben Strauss

Associated Press Sports Editors, 2004, fifth place in breaking news story over 250,000 circulation with Leonard Shapiro

Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, 2003 editorial contest, first place sports story dailies over 75,000

Associated Press Sports Editors, 1997, honorable mention in best news story over 175,000 circulation

War Without Death: A Year of Extreme Competition in Pro Football's NFC East

University of Virginia, BA in rhetoric and communications

Mark Maske covers the NFL for The Washington Post. He has covered the NFL and the Washington Football Team since 1998. He previously covered baseball, the Baltimore Orioles, the effort to bring a major league team to Washington, and colleges.

New York University, BA in journalism

Heather Kelly is a San Francisco-based reporter covering the ways technology affects everyday life. 

Western Washington University, BA in Journalism

Rachel Lerman covers breaking news in technology for The Washington Post.

PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing

Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA

Ithaca College

Ben Strauss covers sports and media for The Washington Post.

Justin Herbert’s grit isn’t enough as Chiefs rally past Chargers

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