The Kansas City Chiefs went into Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers averaging 32.3 points per game throughout their six-game winning streak.
Over the course of a 60-minute game, this comes out to roughly a half a point per minute, and if you assume the time of possession is split about 50-50, that's about a point per minute that they would actually have the ball.
On Sunday, the Chiefs were scoreless after 28 minutes of play to start the game, which was abnormal considering they had always got going fairly early—averaging 14 points per game in the first half during this current winning streak.
But the Chiefs and Chargers were scoreless until late in the first half.
Why?
For the Chiefs, 2 turnovers, 5 penalties and a general lack of execution thwarted an offense that had been so good, so quick during this AFC-leading six-game winning streak.
What changed the tune on Sunday?
After gaining only 133 yards of total offense in the first 28 minutes of the game, there was one play that seem to ignite the Chiefs offense late in the first half.
Alex Smith doesn't generally show a lot of emotion, but after his 6-yard run on third-and-3 with a little more than 3 minutes remaining in the first half, Smith got in the face of Chargers defensive back Jahleel Addae, who Smith felt like led with his head when he was laying on the ground.
This is the play that ignited the offense.
"I blacked out there for a second, so I had no idea what really happened," Smith said with a laugh after the game. "No, I got fired up, a bunch of [the offensive linemen] jumped in. We have a good crew of really competitive guys.
"I think it was just trying to get us going, get me going. It felt like some of the stuff, they tried to head-hunt a little bit there.
"I was jacked up."
During their first 20 plays of the game before Smith's run, the Chiefs had averaged a respectable 6.5 yards per play.
In the five offensive plays that followed, they would average more than 17 yards per play and the game would ultimately be won.
The five plays after that Smith run totaled 89 yards, highlighted by the 44-yard hookup between Smith and Albert Wilson, which put the Chiefs on the board and was the only touchdown scored by either team in the game.
It also came just one play after Smith's third-down conversion run, which was 1 of 5 rushes for Smith on the day (totaling 40 yards on the ground).
"[Smith] showed a lot of fire on that play," Chiefs coach Andy Reid explained. "His legs have helped us and I know he's getting up there a little bit, but he knows how to protect himself when he goes down, which is important."
The offense had 6 plays on the day that gained 18 or more yards, and three came in the five plays that followed that run.
There was the 44-yard touchdown to Wilson, and then on their next offensive drive, Smith found Maclin for 21 yards on the first play of the series. Smith scrambled again for another 18 yards just one play later.
That set up the Cairo Santos' 40-yard field goal with just 7 seconds remaining in the half.
Smith said after the game that there's no ill will towards Addae.
"He's a physical player. Nothing against him, he brings it," he explained. "He hits hard. It's a division game and it's going to be heated—that's what football's about.
"It was that type of game, for sure."
The Chiefs have now won all types of games during this winning streak after starting the season with a 1-5 record.
A lot of the reason for the turnaround this season has been the play of Smith, who picked up his 27th win as the starting quarterback in Kansas City, tying former great Trent Green (2001-03) for the most in franchise history in their first three years with the team.
"It's good to see, especially from a guy like Alex [Smith,]" running back Charcandrick West said of the emotion shown by his quarterback. "When the leader is fighting for the team, everyone is going to get behind him."
In the 2 minutes that followed Smith's run and display of emotion, the Chiefs took a 10-0 lead after going scoreless for the first 28 minutes of the game.
It may have been coincidental, but the fact is the offense made big plays and scored 10 points immediately following that display of fire from the quarterback, and that was the difference in the Chiefs picking up their seventh straight win.
That kind of fire can't be bad from your leader.
Postgame facts and stats from the Chiefs Week 14 win over the Chargers
HISTORIC WINNING STREAK: After losing five consecutive games from Sept. 17, 2015 to Oct. 18, 2015, the Chiefs have won seven consecutive contests from Oct. 25, 2015 through today's victory. Kansas City becomes just the second team in NFL history to win at least seven consecutive games following a five-game losing streak in the same season, joining the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals. The 1970 Bengals won exactly seven games to close out the season after starting 1-6. The 1970 Bengals are also the only team in NFL history to start 1-5 or worse and make the playoffs in the same season. The Chiefs seven-game win streak is tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history, behind just a pair of nine-game streaks (2003 and 2013).
FOUR WINS VS. THE AFC WEST: With today's win, the Chiefs are now 4-1 against AFC West foes with one contest vs. Oakland remaining (Week 17). The last time the Chiefs won four or more games against the AFC West was 2006 when the team went 4-2. The last time the Chiefs won five or more games against the AFC West was 2003 when they finished 5-1 against the division.
WINS VS. SAN DIEGO: With today's win the Chiefs now have a four-game win streak against the San Diego Chargers for the first time in more than 20 years. The last time the Chiefs won at least four consecutive games against the Chargers was from 1990-93 when Kansas City won eight straight games.
ANDY REID'S WIN STREAKS: Head Coach Andy Reid is the only coach in franchise history to record multiple win streaks of seven or more games with a seven-game win streak in 2015 and a nine-game win streak in 2013. Reid is just the second head coach in franchise history to record at least eight wins in each of his first three seasons with the club. He joins Marty Schottenheimer who had 8 wins, 11 wins and 10 wins respectively in each of his first three seasons (1989-91).
DEFENSE HOLDS CHARGERS: The Chiefs defense held the Chargers scoreless through the first two quarters, marking just the ninth time in Chargers history the club scored zero points at the half. The last time was Nov. 2, 2014 at Miami when the Dolphins beat the Chargers 37-0. The Chiefs allowed a total of six points combined in their two matchups against the Chargers in 2015. This is tied for the lowest number of points allowed in a single season against the San Diego franchise in the club's history. The Chiefs held the Chargers to only 44 net rushing yards today, which is a season-low total for San Diego. The Chiefs also held San Diego to just 280 net yards in today's game. The club held San Diego to 201 net yards in the previous contest (11/22/15) this season, which are two of the three lowest totals the Chargers have recorded this season. Entering today's contest, the club was averaging 380.6 net yards per game, ranking sixth in the NFL.
PARKER SACKS RIVERS: DB Ron Parker sacked Chargers QB Philip Rivers for a loss of three yards, marking his fifth career QB takedown, which ranks tied for fifth all time in the Chiefs record book for sacks by a defensive back. Parker has 3.0 sacks this season, and all 5.0 of his sacks have been during his time with the Chiefs (2013-15).
SEASON-LONG DRIVE: QB Alex Smith hit WR Albert Wilson on a 44-yard TD pass, capping a season-long nine-play, 96-yard drive to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead.
SMITH HITS WILSON WITH THE LONG BALL: WR Albert Wilson has two TD receptions on the season, 42 and 44 yards. The last time a Chiefs player had two touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards in the same season was Jamaal Charles in 2013 (49 & 71). Both of Charles' TDs came in the same game (at Oakland, 12/15/13). Wilson finished the day with four catches for 87 yards, tying his career-high receiving yards mark.
JOHNSON GRABS INT: LB Derrick Johnson intercepted a QB Philip Rivers pass and returned it five yards. He has two interceptions on the season and 13 in his 11-year career.
FORD LOGS FIRST MULTI-SACK GAME: LB Dee Ford sacked QB Philip Rivers three times for a total loss of 17 yards, giving him his first multi-sack game of his career and a new single-season career high. He has 4.5 sacks (-27.0 yards) in his career. Ford added seven solo tackles to lead the Chiefs defense and added one pass defensed on the final play of the game to seal the victory. Ford is the first player with three or more sacks in a single game since LB Justin Houston's 4.0 sacks vs. San Diego on 12/28/14 in Week 17 when Houston set a new single-season franchise record with 22.0 sacks.
RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE: RB Charcandrick West and FB/RB Spencer Ware split the workload today. West had 10 carries for 54 yards, while Ware had eight rushes for 52 yards.
SMITH'S STREAK RANKS SECOND IN NFL HISTORY: Prior to QB Alex Smith's interception in the second quarter, he extended his streak to 312 consecutive passes without throwing an interception, which is the second-longest streak in NFL history and the longest such streak by a QB in franchise history.
SMITH CONTINUES TO CLIMB FRANCHISE CHARTS: Since joining the Chiefs in 2013, QB Alex Smith has completed 122 passes of 20 or more yards. His 122 completions are tied for third in franchise history. QB Alex Smith has rushed 65 times this season, marking the second-highest number of rushing attempts by a quarterback in a season. Smith owns the top mark for rushing attempts in a season with 76 in 2013.
SMITH ECLIPSES 3,000 AGAIN: Smith finished today's contest completing 15 of his 23 passes for 191 yards, giving him 3,034 passing yards for the season. He has passed for more than 3,000 yards in each of his three seasons in Kansas City. It marks his fourth career 3,000-yard season. His 3,034 passing yards with three games remaining rank fourth for his best single-season performance.
HOWARD SACKS RIVERS: DL Jaye Howard sacked Rivers for a loss of seven yards, giving him 3.5 sacks (-21.0 yards) this season and 4.5 sacks in his career. Howard added two solo tackles in the game.
PETERS CONTINUES TO DEFEND AGAINST THE PASS: Rookie CB Marcus Peters had five tackles (three solo) and one pass defensed in today's game. His 19 passes defensed set a new franchise rookie record and are ranked tied for sixth in team history. His one pass defensed today was a tipped pass resulting in an interception.
