Cairo Santos made three field goals in the Chiefs win at San Diego (photo/NFL)
Cairo Santos, the rookie from Tulane, kicked the biggest field goal of his young career–a 48-yarder with 21 seconds left giving the Chiefs a 23-20 victory Sunday at San Diego, snapping the Chargers’ five-game winning streak. The Chargers are 5-2 and the Chiefs get to .500 at 3-3.
The Chiefs got back in the division race, now just 1.5 games behind San Diego, Denver, at 4-1, playing San Francisco tonight.
The Chiefs got close enough after Alex Smith connected on three straight passes on the drive for 53 yards, including a 29-yarder to Dwayne Bowe. However, he on short attempts to Bowe and Jamaal Charles and 2nd and 3rd and 2 situations, forcing Santos to try from 48. It was a homecoming for Alex, who won two San Diego championships, while a prep student at Helix High School.
Santos also hit field goals of 28 and 40 in the first half.
Charles finished with 95 yards on the day, including a nifty 16 yard touchdown run in the second quarter that made Charles the all-time leading rusher in Chiefs history.