The Chargers lost 23-20 to the Chiefs in overtime on Monday night, and Philip Rivers knows that this one is on him. The veteran quarterback made a rookie mistake in the final minutes of regulation, fumbling the snap in the red zone as the Chargers were trying to kill the clock and set up a potentially game-winning field-goal attempt.
Chargers Vs. Chiefs: Philip Rivers Can’t Explain Late Fumble
“This one’s rough,” Rivers said, according to Chargers.com. “Any loss, you want throws back. There’s plays we could obviously play better, but when you know you’re a minute away from just leaking the clock and kicking a field goal to end it after the way we fought back, then you blow it on something that shouldn’t ever happen.”
Rivers has 11 interceptions in seven games -- including two on Monday. But as prone to turnovers as he’s been this year, fumbling the snap is a gaffe that rarely happens.
“I haven’t had one in years,” Rivers said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s unfortunate. I dropped it. This one is rough. You blow it on a play that never should have happened.”
"It was a critical situation and it cost us," center Nick Hardwick said. "It's been six years and we haven't had one on the ground. We can't have that."
A firework reportedly went off in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium just before the ill-fated snap, prompting some speculation on the Chargers’ radio broadcast that Rivers was spooked. But Rivers dismissed that theory, telling reporters he didn’t hear anything. Instead, Norv Turner probably summed it up best.
“It looked to me like Philip got a little anxious and came out early,” Turner said. “That’s a very unusual way to not win a game.”
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