KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The ramifications of the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the San Diego Chargers resonated 24 hours afterward like few outcomes in recent Kansas City football.

The 23-20 outcome lifted the Chiefs to a 3-3 record; not bad for a team that started the season 0-2. By beating the Chargers, the Chiefs assured themselves that the Bolts were not going to run off and hide with first place in the AFC West. And, it was the Chiefs’ first victory in San Diego since 2007 and only the second victory there since and including the 2003 season.

More than anything else, the winning performance was big because, for the first time in over a decade, they won a road game against a divisional opponent that was in first place in the AFC West.

“It was amazing out there today,” running back Jamaal Charles said after the game, which was decided on rookie kicker Cairo Santos 48-yard field goal with 21 seconds to play. “Everybody got to see how it’s supposed to be out here for this team.”

It’s hard to remember the last time the Chiefs won a road game in the AFC West against a team that had a winning record and a spot in the playoffs at the end of the season. The last time it happened was in the 2007 season when they beat the Chargers and San Diego went on to post an 11-5 record and made the playoffs. Before that outcome, a Chiefs historian would have to roll back to the 2000 season when they beat the Broncos in Denver. It was a year in which Denver finished 11-5 and made the playoffs.

In both of those seasons, the Chiefs did not qualify for the postseason, proof again there are no foolproof guarantees when talking about punching a ticket to playing in January. But winning in the division and road victories are mile post markers that separate the paths of contenders and pretenders.

Coach Andy Reid and his team got that job done against the Chargers. Offensively, they established the run game quickly, riding the rested legs of Charles. Defensively, the Chiefs had a very different look in coverage against San Diego. Coordinator Bob Sutton had his team in more zone coverages than it has shown all season. The Chiefs played very little press man coverage at the line of scrimmage. They had an 18-minute edge in time of possession.

The schedule now turns in the Chiefs’ favor. Four of their first six games were on the road and they went 2-2 away from home, but they now hold a big division road victory over the Chargers. In their 10 remaining games they will play six at Arrowhead Stadium, including visits by all three division foes. They will also host St. Louis and the New York Jets in the next two weeks, and after a visit to Buffalo, the Chiefs host Seattle.

This victory over San Diego was the most impressive performance the Chiefs have had in 23 games under Reid and his coaching staff. It was as a victory that topped anything that came during the tenures of Romeo Crennel, Todd Haley, Herm Edwards and possibly even all the way back to Dick Vermeil.

The victory was a statement to everyone about the makeup of the 2014 Chiefs.

“This was an opportunity for us to show what we were made of, show the country,” said quarterback Alex Smith. “It was a tough road game and we’ve had four of our last six on the road. I feel like we’re in a good place and we’re going to keep going.”

Notes: Middle linebacker Joe Mays is eligible to practice after missing the season’s first six games due to a torn ligament in his wrist that required surgery. . . . Tight end Travis Kelce suffered a rib injury against San Diego. . . Wide receiver Junior Hemingway suffered a strained hamstring in the first half and did not return . . . Wide receiver Donnie Avery (sports hernia) will not practice or play this week.

REPORT CARD VS. CHARGERS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B – The wide receiver position finally showed itself in the Chiefs offensive performance in San Diego when Dwayne Bowe caught five passes for 84 yards. Quarterback Alex Smith had a good day, completing nearly 68 percent of his passes for an average of 7.9 yards per attempt. The pass protection was spotty, allowing three sacks in 31 pass plays. That’s too much pressure on the quarterback.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: A – As the Chiefs offensive play-caller, Andy Reid came out of the locker room for the first half determined to get his running game moving. There’s no better person to make that happen than Jamaal Charles, and he ran for 95 tough yards on 22 carries, including a record-setting 16-yard touchdown run that made him the Chiefs all-time leading rusher. Alex Smith chipped in some nice yardage scrambling out of the pocket.

–PASS DEFENSE: B – Coordinator Bob Sutton’s defense kept San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers guessing all afternoon by backing off the Chiefs’ normal dose of press coverage and playing more zone than they have at any point this season. Rivers did throw two touchdown passes, but the Chiefs got to him for two sacks and an interception to end the game.

–RUSH DEFENSE: B – San Diego rookie sensation Branden Oliver came into the game as one of the most productive young running backs in the league over the first six weeks. But the Darren Sproles clone was unable to cut loose against the Chiefs defense. Oliver finished with 67 yards on 15 carries and otherwise the Chargers ground game was not a factor in the outcome.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B – Rookie kicker Cairo Santos finally got a chance to show the NFL what the Chiefs saw during the preseason when he beat out incumbent Ryan Succop for the kicking job. Santos hit a career-long 48-yard field goal for the winning points along with two other field goals, and he’s now hit six in a row.

–COACHING: A – With an extra week to prepare for a division rival, Reid and his staff put together solid game plans on both offense and defense. The plan was to have a ball-control offense paired with a defense that schemed to eliminate big plays from Rivers and the San Diego offense. The players followed the script and lifted the Chiefs to a 3-3 record on the season.