The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-21, on Friday night to kick off the 2025 campaign.

Here are some quick notes from the loss.

1. The Chiefs' second-half offensive adjustments gave them a chance in the end.

Kansas City struggled offensively out of the gate, punting on each of its first three possessions after losing wide receiver Xavier Worthy to a shoulder injury on the third snap of the game.

The Chiefs tallied just 35 total yards of offense across those three drives, but to Kansas City's credit, the offense managed to score on each of its final five possessions over the remainder of the game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 24-of-39 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown while rushing for a team-leading 57 yards and a score as part of that effort, nearly leading the Chiefs to another improbable victory.

Unfortunately, a 1-for-3 mark in terms of red zone touchdown efficiency and a missed extra point ultimately proved to be the difference, but the Chiefs' offensive production in the second half – particularly considering Worthy's early exit – is something the team can build on moving forward.

2. The Chiefs committed some uncharacteristic miscues.

A divisional matchup thousands of miles from home is tough enough, but the Chiefs made things more difficult on themselves with a handful of uncharacteristic errors throughout Friday's game.

Notably, the Chiefs committed 10 penalties (for 71 yards), failed to convert their first seven third-down attempts and missed an extra point that would have tied the game midway through the third quarter. The extra point, in particular, turned out to be something the Chiefs chased the rest of the way.

"They definitely came out with more energy than we did. In this league, everybody is too good to not match the energy of your opponent," Mahomes said. "I think we learned a valuable lesson today. We have to be better from the get-go. We're not just going to be able to come back and win every single game…This will be a big lesson for us."

3. The Chiefs' brilliant, "run-on" field goal shouldn't be forgotten.

It didn't end up leading to a victory, but the Chiefs' successful "run-on" field goal at the end of the first half was executed so well that it shouldn't be forgotten. Simply put, consider the ridiculous complexity involved in moving the correct personnel onto the field and into position all amidst a ticking clock that had only 13 seconds remaining on it when tight end Noah Gray re-entered the field of play.

For starters, Gray knew exactly which official he needed to give the ball to in order to expediate the spotting process. Meanwhile, a total of 12 players needed to exchange spots without a moment's notice. The only players who remained on the field as part of the field goal unit were Gray, center Creed Humphrey, offensive guard Trey Smith, offensive guard Kingsley Suamataia and offensive tackle Josh Simmons, meaning six players needed to rush off the field while another six ran on it.

That process was executed in just 10 seconds before longsnapper James Winchester snapped the ball at the 3-second mark, providing kicker Harrison Butker with plenty of time to send the ball through the uprights from 59 yards away.

Again, the Chiefs lost on Friday, so these special teams' heroics are easily forgotten, but the success of that operation should be a comforting thought if Kansas City needs to do it again down the road.

4. Kansas City defended the run well on Friday, but the Chargers found success throwing the ball.

A positive from Friday's defensive performance was the Chiefs' ability to control the Chargers' running game. Aside from quarterback Justin Herbert's scrambles, the Chargers ran the ball 18 times for just 58 yards, averaging just 3.2 yards-per-carry.

Specifically, Chargers' tailback Omarion Hampton, a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, rushed for only 48 yards on 15 carries (averaging 3.2 yards-per-attempt). That effort was reminiscent of the Chiefs' performance against opposing running backs last year in which they yielded just 3.8 yards-per-carry.

Unfortunately, the Chargers threw the ball well on Friday. Kansas City's third-down defense, in particular, allowed Justin Herbert to complete 7-of-8 passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. That's an area the Chiefs will need to improve moving forward.

5. Despite an uncharacteristic performance, the Chiefs were still in a position to win the game on Friday. The Chargers just made one more play.

Remarkably, despite the Chiefs' struggles in all three phases on Friday, they were still in a position to win the game with more than two minutes left. The Chargers, leading by just six points, were facing a 3rd-and-14 at their own 34-yard line, providing the Chiefs with an excellent opportunity to get the ball back and potentially win the game.

To the Chargers' credit, Justin Herbert managed to scramble for a game-sealing first down, quelling any possibility of a comeback.

The Chiefs are often on the other side of those sorts of plays, but if utilized correctly, Friday's loss has the potential to be used as a learning experience that helps Kansas City down the road.