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Brandon Staley's fourth-down decisions ended up costing his team a shot at the AFC West lead, going just 2 of 5 on those attempts in Thursday's overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Los Angeles Chargers took the Chiefs to overtime, yet Staley passed on three field goal attempts deep in opponent territory for touchdowns.

The Chargers left a potential nine points on the board in a game that went to overtime. Los Angeles never got the ball in overtime as Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on a game-winning touchdown drive to snatch the victory -- and a two-game lead in the division with three to play.  

If Staley kicks one of those field goal attempts and hits it, perhaps he isn't defending his fourth-down decisions so vehemently. 

"It's life in the NFL, in decision making like that," Staley said. "From where my mindset is, I know that the quickest way to win a game like that is to score touchdowns, not field goals, especially considering who's on the other side. To me, when you feel like you're in an advantage situation, when you don't feel like it's a gamble, and you feel like this is an advantage for you, then that's going to be our mindset. 

"I don't think that any decision that I made tonight was a gamble. We felt like it was an advantage situation for us. That's why we did it. If we didn't feel like that was the case, then we would have kicked a field goal or we would have punted. That's the way that we're going to do things around here. I know that our team embraces that mindset. We're going to continue to do it every game we play moving forward."

Staley has no regrets going for it on fourth down and leaving the game in Justin Herbert's hands. Herbert has the most passing and rushing touchdowns combined in his first two seasons and the most passing yards in the same stretch, so it's hard to fault Staley for that logic. 

"The goal is always to score. We needed to put up points," Herbert said. "We got into the end zone and that was our mission. We would've loved to have been able to move the clock down and not have any time left, but this is the NFL and you have to get in the end zone."

Herbert views the Chargers going for it on fourth down a bit different than the end result. He'd rather not have the Chargers be in that situation -- converting the first down prior to forcing Staley's hand and going for it on fourth down. 

"I think we need to be better on third downs so that we're not in those situations, but we believe in each other," Herbert said. "We believe in the guys in that locker room and that huddle, and we believe in the defense. I think that's a statement of trusting everyone on the field and off the field, as well. We love to be put in those situations. 

"Unfortunately, we didn't convert as many as we would've liked to have today, but we're going to ride with each other and we're going to be right back."

The Chargers are still in good shape to make the playoffs, but playing conversative could have snatched Los Angeles the AFC West lead. Perhaps the Chargers are too over aggressive. 

"That's going to be the mindset no matter who we play. I felt really comfortable with all of those decisions," Staley said. "That's the way that we're going to play around here. That's the way we're going to play. 

"When we have a quarterback like ours, and we have an offense like ours, that's the way we're going to play because that's how you need to play against Kansas City, for sure. That's how we're going to become the team that we're ultimately capable of being, by playing that way."