SAN DIEGO -- The quick slant is not a pass play designed for big-time yardage or game-winning touchdowns.

Yet it is a route that will keep Chargers defensive backs up at night. And should the Chargers' season end without a playoff berth, it will be looked upon as the one play that cost them dearly.

It was the route that beat the Chargers in a Week 3 loss to Green Bay and again was the critical moment in a shocking 30-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In Green Bay, Brett Favre and Greg Jennings hooked up on a quick slant that went 57 yards to the end zone in what was the game-winning play in the Packers' victory.

It happened again against the Chiefs. This time, rookie receiver Dwayne Bowe ran that exact route and, thanks to some sloppy tackling, turned a short pass from Damon Huard into a 51-yard touchdown.

"It was the same play," Bowe said. "We watched it on film, how the guy had inside leverage. (Offensive coordinator) Mike (Solari) called it and I made a great catch. That's something they have to work on …"

Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer, who refused to comment after the loss, worked hard to prevent that from happening. He went so far as to illegally hold Bowe as the ball approached, but still couldn't prevent the completion. Jammer's infraction was declined in favor of the end product, which gave Kansas City a 23-16 lead.

That play typified a second-half performance that could be characterized as an absolute meltdown.

"When it rains it pours, and that's what happened. It poured," Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips said. "We just had one bad break after another, after another."

This was not Tom Brady torching the Chargers' secondary, nor was it Favre. It was a man in jeopardy of losing his job.

Huard, a name that strikes fear in the hearts of few defenses, had 17 completions for a season-high 284 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers' star-studded defense. He sparked a run of 24 unanswered points for Kansas City.

It was a half in which tempers flared and the Chargers' defense looked disjointed at best.

"Everyone has to be on the same page on defense, and we have to make plays," defensive end Igor Olshansky said. "If we don't turn this around real quick, it's not going to be a good season for us."

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.