Johnson’s Big Day Ends Chargers’ Playoff Hopes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Drawing dirty looks in the San Diego locker room was easy after Larry Johnson and the Kansas City Chiefs snuffed out the Chargers’ playoff hopes with a 20-7 victory Saturday.

Just asking the mistake-prone visitors if they were flat after their huge victory at Indianapolis did the trick.

“We weren’t,” Coach Marty Schottenheimer said in a level voice. “We were outplayed.”

Indeed. The Chiefs ran their December home winning streak to 18 and kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a dominating victory.

Johnson had his eighth straight 100-yard rushing game, constantly digging his heels into the wet, slippery turf for extra yardage, dragging tacklers with him.

The third-year pro had 131 tough yards and two touchdowns against a defense that came in No. 1 in the league against the run and had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 16 straight games.

He scored on a four-yard run and a tackle-busting 28-yard catch-and-run down the sideline. Since he became the starter Nov. 1 after Priest Holmes went on injured reserve, Johnson has a league-leading 1,150 yards on the ground.

While eliminating the Chargers (9-6), the Chiefs (9-6) clinched the AFC West title for Denver. For the Chiefs to make the postseason, three things have to happen:

* They must beat Cincinnati next Sunday;

* Denver has to beat the Chargers on Saturday;

* The Detroit Lions will have to upset the Steelers at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

“Detroit needs to go sign Barry Sanders for just one more week,” Chief left tackle Willie Roaf said.

Anything short of the postseason is bound to be a letdown for a team that squandered its chances with road losses to Dallas and the New York Giants the previous two weeks.

“This is my ninth year here and I’ve been to the playoffs only twice and we’ve lost both times,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “Definitely, it would be a huge disappointment if we don’t make the playoffs this year.”

San Diego was flagged for seven penalties for 58 yards, had two turnovers and hardly resembled the tough-minded outfit that ruined the Colts’ unbeaten season.

“They came out hard,” Charger rookie linebacker Shawne Merriman said. “They came out fighting for every inch. They were very tough and they game-planned us very well.”

San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson, the other Pro Bowl running back in this game, had 49 yards in 15 carries.