SAN DIEGO -- Observed and heard in the San Diego Chargers' locker room after the team’s 19-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:
Players properly motivated: Asked about his team's falling behind double digits for a second straight week with a postseason berth on the line, Chargers coach Mike McCoy said motivation was not an issue.
“We’re not questioning the heart of our football team,” McCoy said. “We played our tails off. We worked extremely hard. Sometimes you don’t execute as well as you want. But this team gave it all that they’ve got -- 60 minutes for 17 weeks. I can promise you that. It’s not a lack of urgency at all -- no chance.”
Execution still an issue: Well, if we take McCoy at his word, then you have to focus on San Diego’s lack of execution in critical stretches of the game. Specifically, McCoy again showed his conservative side in choosing to attempt a 52-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-8 from Kansas City’s 34-yard line when down 19-7 with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
“There was no doubt,” McCoy said. "[Special-teams coordinator Kevin Spencer] had no doubt in his mind. And I have all the confidence in him. But he missed it. He had plenty of length. It wasn’t an issue of the wind. He just missed it left. And so I had all the confidence, and I said that all year long. And we still have other possessions. So if we get that, who knows what happens.”
Nick Novak pulled the kick wide left.
Down by the same score with four minutes remaining, offensive coordinator Frank Reich called runs up the middle with Donald Brown on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 from Kansas City’s 20-yard line. Brown was stoned twice by Kansas City’s defense for no gain, and the Chargers turned it over on downs. Brown averaged 2.5 yards per carry this season. Rookie Branden Oliver rushed for 71 yards on the day but wasn’t in the game for either play.
“On fourth-and-1, you’re usually running,” Philip Rivers said. “It’s not one where you take a shot. It was fourth-and-a small one. It’s always easy after the fact. If you throw it there and get a ball batted down, then you’re like, ‘It’s fourth-and-1, hand the ball off.’ Those are all what-ifs. We’ve called the play on a handful of second-and-1s, third-and-1s that we had throughout the game and got it every time.”
Injury update: Safety Marcus Gilchrist (elbow), receiver Eddie Royal (concussion) and cornerback Shareece Wright (concussion) suffered injuries during the game and did not return. Safety Jahleel Addae (concussion) and right tackle D.J. Fluker (knee) suffered injuries during the game but returned to the field.
