Justin Herbert Shines as Chargers Stun Chiefs in Brazil Opener
The Kansas City Chiefs are used to starting seasons strong, but their 2025 opener in Brazil turned into a night where Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers stole the show. It was a matchup packed with storylines — Patrick Mahomes on one side, Herbert on the other, a packed stadium in São Paulo, and even global celebrities like Neymar and Karol G adding to the spectacle. But when the clock hit zero, the headlines belonged to Herbert and the Chargers, who walked away with a 27–21 win.
The game started in the worst way possible for Kansas City. On just the third play, rookie receiver Xavier Worthy collided with Travis Kelce on a crossing route. Kelce, at 250 pounds, bounced back up. Worthy, weighing in at 165, wasn’t as lucky. He left with a shoulder injury and never returned. Already missing Rashee Rice due to suspension, the Chiefs suddenly found themselves thin at receiver. That absence showed throughout the first half, as Kansas City failed to reach the end zone and looked flat, just as they did in their Super Bowl LIX loss to Philadelphia earlier this year.
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Meanwhile, Herbert wasted no time asserting himself. He connected early with Quentin Johnston for a touchdown and spread the ball effectively, completing 12 of 18 passes for 171 yards before halftime. By the break, the Chargers held a 13–6 lead, helped by a big mistake from rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who stopped the clock by running out of bounds and set up a Chiefs field goal. Even then, the tone had been set — Los Angeles wasn’t backing down.
Patrick Mahomes, as he often does, came alive in the second half. He threw himself into the game — literally — lowering his shoulder on runs, pulling off acrobatic passes, and eventually finding Kelce for a long touchdown that cut the deficit. It looked like Kansas City might pull off another late comeback. After all, they had won an NFL-record 17 straight one-score games. But Herbert had other ideas.
Every time Mahomes closed the gap, Herbert answered. He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Johnston, and sealed the win with a gutsy 19-yard scramble on third-and-14. That play not only killed Kansas City’s hopes of getting the ball back, it sent a message — this Chargers team under Jim Harbaugh is not afraid of the Chiefs.
For Kansas City, the loss drops them to 0–1, and it raises questions about their vulnerability early in the season. With Philadelphia up next in a Super Bowl rematch, urgency has arrived sooner than expected. For Los Angeles, it’s a monumental win, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Chiefs and announcing themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC West.
So while Mahomes made his share of highlight plays, the night in Brazil ultimately belonged to Herbert. And if this game is any indication, the AFC West might be more competitive than it has been in years.
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