Visitor:  San Diego Chargers

Home:  Kansas City Chiefs

Date:  December 23, 2001

 

Scoring:

Team               1          2          3          4          Final

SD                   7          0          7          3            17

KC                  7          0          3          10          20

 

Visitor playmakers:

F Jones, C Conway,

 

Home playmakers:

TE Jason Dunn, FB Tony Richardson

 

Network:  CBS (KOTV Tulsa)

Announcers:  Kevin Harlan, Craig James

 

Pregame: 

Halftime: 

Postgame: 

Commercials: 

 

Grade: 

 

Notes:  Until Sunday, Trent Green didn't have much luck colliding with Rodney Harrison. The last time Harrison put a ferocious hit on the quarterback, Green's knee snapped, sidelining him for almost two years. This time, the safety slammed into Green's head and drew a roughing-the-passer penalty that wiped out an interception by Leonardo Carson and put Kansas City on the 4-yard line. Given new life, the Chiefs scored on Tony Richardson's 1-yard run with 48 seconds left for a 20-17 victory against San Diego.

 

Two plays later after the hit on Green, Harrison was charged with defensive holding as the Chargers (5-10) lost their eighth in a row. Harrison, in the third preseason game in 1999, hit Green and tore up his left knee. Slated to be St. Louis' starter that year, Green was out for the season and watched backup Kurt Warner burst into stardom by leading the Rams to the Super Bowl title. Green did not really get his career back on track until he was traded to the Chiefs this year. Still, he has no hard feelings.

 

The Chargers, who appeared en route to a great turnaround season before the Chiefs beat them eight games ago and started their slide, took a 17-13 lead four minutes earlier on Steve Christie's 27-yard field goal.

 

Doug Flutie, who was intercepted 13 times and lost two fumbles in the first seven games of the streak, was 14 of 24 for 172 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 145 yards as the Chargers nearly got their first victory in Kansas City in five years.

 

Until he slowly picked himself off the turf, Green had no idea the ball was intercepted or Harrison was called for roughing. He didn't even know Harrison was the culprit until reporters told him.

 

Flutie gave the Chargers a 14-10 lead in the last minute of the third quarter with a 4-yard TD pass to Curtis Conway. Originally, Conway was ruled out of bounds, but the call was overturned on review.  After Kansas City's Todd Peterson made it 14-13 with a 41-yard field goal two minutes into the fourth quarter, Christie connected from 27 yards for a 17-13 lead with 5:01 left.

 

On their first possession, the Chiefs converted three third downs on passes from Green to Marvin Minnis of 15, 21 and 10 yards. Green capped the 16-play, 80-yard march with a 3-yard TD pass to tight end Jason Dunn.

 

Five minutes into the third quarter, Green connected for 48 yards with Eddie Kennison, setting up Peterson's 33-yarder for a 10-7 Chiefs lead. Early in the fourth, with the Chargers leading 14-10, Peterson hit from 41 yards to make it 14-13.

 

Tomlinson's 34-yard run set up Flutie's 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, the Chargers' first TD pass in Arrowhead Stadium since 1996.

 

The Chiefs' Priest Holmes, who went into the game leading the NFL in rushing, had 80 yards on 23 carries.

 

GAME NOTES:

•           Kansas City had two penalties for 10 yards for the third time this season, matching the second-lowest total in team history. The record is one penalty for 5 yards against the New York Jets on Dec. 28, 1986. The Chiefs weren't charged with a penalty Sunday until 11:50 remained, when cornerback Eric Warfield was flagged for defensive holding.

•           San Diego is 0-10 this season when scoring fewer than 27 points.

•           Before Sunday, the Chargers were 3-0 when Tomlinson rushed for 100 yards or more.

 

Thanks Ryan!

 

Running time:  2:58 (2 discs)