What we learned from Kansas City’s win over Las Vegas

On By Littum

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  1. Chiefs win ugly again. Kansas City is now 11-1 after outscoring an inferior opponent in a game they probably should have won by double digits. They certainly had their opportunities, including five drives in the red zone, but scored just one touchdown out of those five chances. Credit can be given to the Raiders defense, which fired Patrick Mahomes five times (including twice in the Raiders’ red zone), but those who have watched the Chiefs know those games aren’t exclusive to Black Friday. Kansas City has found ways to win, but they are far from a perfect operation. Mahomes still struggles to connect with Xavier Worthy — Their missed third-down attempt in the fourth quarter was emblematic of their struggles — and even DeAndre Hopkinswho is largely settling into his key role, dropped a third-down pass attempted by heroics in the third quarter. They also seem lost for answers in the red zone, especially when defenses take away quick slants along the goal line. Fortunately, Las Vegas’ late offensive explosion seemed to wake up the Chiefs, who need such a call at this point in the season (much like the one they received from the Raiders on Christmas Day last year). We’ll see if this game helps them build momentum into December.
  2. Well-known bugs doom raiders. Las Vegas generally spent two and a half quarters putting around the field at Arrowhead Stadium, mustering just three points, missing a field goal and getting stuffed on fourth-and-1, making for a less than engrossing game. That changed when a 68-yard kick was returned Ameer Abdullah woke them up, leading to a great touchdown catch Brock Bowers. On their next possession, another explosive play — this time, a 58-yard touchdown pass Three Tuckers — turned the game on its head and forced the Chiefs out of their own slumber. The Raiders ended up with two chances to potentially win, moving into the edge of Daniel Carlson‘s reach where he ended up failing the long attempt by scraping the grass with his kicking foot. Given one more chance, the Raiders moved down the field again and covered 54 yards before an operating error — with the play ended, center Jackson Powers-Johnson rushed a snap to a surprised Aidan O’Connellresulting in a fumble — ending their hopes of a last-second victory. While O’Connell took the blame for the crucial turnover, those mistakes are endemic to the 2024 Raiders, a team that can’t get out of their own way. And on a day when they probably didn’t deserve to have a chance to win, the Raiders found another way to waste their best opportunity. This is how a team ends up with a 2-10 record and an immediate future that grows more uncertain by the week.
  3. The Raiders have a lot to fix, but the tight end is set. Because the Raiders have proven to be a bad football team, many of the football world may not be familiar with Bowers’ game. They learned on Friday. Bowers again finished as Las Vegas’ leading receiver, catching 10 of his 14 targets for 140 yards and a spectacular 33-yard touchdown catch that was a key part of the Raiders’ comeback. He and Jakobi Meyers are the only two credible playmakers in this offense right now, and Bowers is clearly the better of the two. He is already one of the best tight ends in the NFL and is only a rookie. With that performance on national television, Friday may have been the moment the rest of the NFL became aware of his talents — and his potential.
  4. Welcome back, Chris Jones. The Chiefs’ star defensive tackle has impacted virtually every game he’s played in this season, but he had gone without a sack since Week 4. That seven-game drought — tied for longest in a season of his career — ended Friday when Jones sacked O’Connell on a third-down play that began at the Kansas City 4-yard line, forcing the Raiders to settle for a field goal. Jones added another sack later in the quarter, capping a drive near midfield by taking down O’Connell on third-and-9. He’s obviously a massive part of this Chiefs defense, and seeing him back in the sack column is an encouraging sign for a defense that — judging by the current state of their offense — could count on even more in the 2024 postseason than it was a year ago.

Next Gen Stats Insights from Raiders-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Maxx Crosby played all of the Raiders’ defensive snaps for the sixth consecutive game (67 snaps), extending his streak to 387 consecutive snaps – the longest by a defensive lineman in the NGS era (since 2016).

NFL Research: Patrick Mahomes recorded his 100th career win (including playoffs) in Week 13, making Tom Brady the fastest ever to do so (126 starts).