Bolts Strike Back
September 6, 2025
Justin Herbert and the Chargers had the opportunity to make a statement win Friday night and boy did they take advantage. Herbert has lost a lot of his shine as of late, being passed in the media as an underperformer, underachiever, can’t win a playoff game and more. The Kansas City Chiefs certainly aren’t a franchise with that problem. In fact, Herbert had just a 1-7 record going into the night against Patrick Mahomes.
Chargers DC Jesse Minter was dialing up pressures all night forcing Mahomes to make plays while uncomfortable. Mahomes was hit, passes swatted and forced into throws you don’t typically see him attempt – resulting in near int’s. Kelce was a non factor until late (except for when he delivered a kill shot to his own teammate), and the usual Jawaan Taylor false starts showed their ugly head. A bright spot on the Chiefs offense was Hollywood Brown who got to work early and stayed busy all night, ending with 99 yards receiving on 16 targets.
The big story on Friday was the 4th quarter drive where Justin Herbert took over, capping off a touchdown drive by delivering a 23 yard strike to Quentin Johnston. Herbert dropped back to pass down after down. The Chargers clearly had the intent to make this his drive as the running game had struggled for most of the night. After the go ahead score, the Chargers defense held Kansas City to a field goal and never got the ball back. Herbert sealed the deal with a run up the sideline and a few times through the victory formation after that – finishing with 318 yards through the air and 32 yards on the ground for 3 total touchdowns.
Statement made. Harbaugh and the Chargers are ready to officially get rolling. Seeing the Chiefs in a primetime game usually results in an eye roll of a game, but this was an entertaining start to the 2025 season for LA.
Can’t end this piece without thanking Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart for completing every football fans dream and taking a swing at the face of Travis Kelce.
Keith, Author
Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.
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