Over the previous four games, the Kansas City Chiefs have made finding ways to narrowly escape from losing ball games, a new style of art. Once again, the Super Bowl champs tried to weasel their way out of another tight ball game but instead suffer their first loss of the 2020 season.
Kansas City has won 28 of their last 30 games against AFC West opponents and had not lost to the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium since 2012.
On Sunday afternoon, every stat and record that insinuated Kansas City’s inevitable victory during pre-game flew out the window, as the two rivals combined for 903 yards of total offense. Derek Carr and the Raiders offense went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in what will down as a classic shootout between two historic rivals.
Carr completed 22-of-31 for 347 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a pick, becoming the first Raiders quarterback since Rich Gannon to throw for over 300 yards at Arrowhead Stadium. Las Vegas had a plan to give the Chiefs a taste of their own medicine by collecting huge chunks of yardage and hitting their speedy receivers deep down the field.
Rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III had a monster game, mounting up 112 yards and a TD on only two receptions for the day. Receiver Nelson Agholor also had a big game, wracking up 67 yards and a score on two receptions as well.
On the other sideline, Patrick Mahomes went 22-of-43 for 340 yards and threw two touchdowns and a pick. The SB MVP was under duress for much of the day after left guard Kelechi Osemele reportedly tore tendons in both of his knees in the first quarter and was carted off the field.
Tight end Travis Kelce was one again the security blanket for Mahomes, catching 8-of-12 targets for 108 yards and a touchdown.
The wild west shootout began with Kansas City answering to a Las Vegas field goal with a nine-play, 88-yard drive that included a 32-yard pass play to Travis Kelce that was followed up by a three-yard scramble by Patrick Mahomes for the first TD of the game.
The Chiefs took control of the momentum early on the Raiders ensuing drive as cornerback Bashaud Breeland picks off Derek Carr to give Kansas the ball back on the Vegas 28-yard line with 34 seconds left in the first quarter. Kansas City quickly makes good on the interception, delivering a four-play drive that was finished with a jet-sweep to Tyreek Hill for the 10-yard score.
In the second quarter, Kansas City and Vegas traded back-to-back scoring drives, with the Raiders answering the bell first to start the quarter. After a few dink-and-dunk plays, Derek Carr torches the Chiefs secondary with a 59-yards bomb to Nelson Agholor to bring Vegas to within four points on the scoreboard.
Kansas City followed suit by going up the field, 75 yards in seven plays, and scoring a ten-yard touchdown that went to Sammy Watkins to pull the Chiefs ahead 21-10. The drive included a 37-yard pass to Tyreek Hill to put Kansas City within scoring range.
On the following drive, Vegas would answer once more, starting with a 43-yard run down the sideline by Devontae Booker that went up the 32-yard line of Kansas City. A 23-yard strike to fullback Alec Ingold would inevitably set up Derek Carr to find his tight end, Darren Waller, for a five-yard score, two plays later.
The Raiders found the endzone one more time in the first half, following a Kansas City punt. Carr dropped back and cashed in on a broken coverage assignment by Daniel Sorensen, hitting Henry Ruggs III deep down the field for a 72-yard score. The huge play gave the Raiders the lead late in the first half. However, Kansas City managed to get down the field in time to set up Harrison Butker for a 32-yard field goal and tied up the game going into halftime.
After both offenses stalled for the majority of the third quarter, Las Vegas took control of the second half. On a never-ending thirteen-play drive, Derek Carr drove his offense up the field, 66 yards, to retake the lead with a seven-yard touchdown run by Josh Jacobs.
The Raiders increased their lead with a 43-yard Daniel Carlson field goal on their next drive and soon found themselves in the end zone fives plays later, after safety Jeff Heath picked off Patrick Mahomes.
Down 40-24, Kansas City was able to give themselves a chance by decreasing their deficit to eight points with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, followed by a GOOD 2-point conversion by Darrel Williams in the back of the end zone.
Unfortunately, the stop the Chiefs needed on defense, never came and the Raiders were able to come out of Arrowhead as the victors for the first time in eight seasons.
