Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 in a divisional matchup at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, extending their winning streak to five games in the 2026 NFL season.
The Chiefs arrived with a strong 4-0 record built on victories over the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, and they kept that run going against a winless Chargers team, but one first-quarter play ended up mattering beyond the score.
That play was only one of several flags in a chippy game that could bring fines for both teams.
Denny Medley-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
With 3:06 left in the opening quarter, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert scrambled around the right end for a 6-yard run to the Kansas City 22-yard line. As he gave himself up or went to the ground, Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed closed in to make the stop.
On the play, the cornerback delivered a direct knee to the quarterback’s head and neck area, prompting a flag for unnecessary roughness. The accepted 15-yard penalty moved the Chargers inside the red zone to the Kansas City 11-yard line.
Replays suggest Sneed may have been trying to avoid contact and couldn’t stop his momentum as Herbert dropped, but the NFL’s strict player-safety guidelines hold defenders accountable for hits on sliding or defenseless quarterbacks.
Under the league’s fine schedule, the defender will likely face financial discipline, with standard unnecessary roughness penalties starting at $17,911 for a first offense and escalating to $23,882 for repeat infractions.
The Chiefs will return to action next Sunday against the defending NFL champions Seattle Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET at Lumen Field.
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