Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were knocked out of playoff contention in a 16-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, ending an era of near-automatic postseason appearances. Derwin James Jr. sealed the game with a late interception against backup quarterback Gardner Minshew after Mahomes exited with a left knee injury, while Justin Herbert played through a broken hand to guide the Chargers to a season sweep and a 10-4 record. The result not only snapped Kansas City’s long run of AFC dominance that featured three Super Bowl titles and seven AFC Championship Game appearances, but also underscored a broader late-season shake-up across the NFL that included dramatic wins by the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles.