KC Chiefs report card: Record-tying win at Raiders turned on epic goal-line stand
The Chiefs matched a franchise record with their 13th straight victory on Sunday in Las Vegas, beating the team that last defeated them.
A pair of Patrick Mahomes touchdown passes, great success on third down and a tremendous goal-line stand paved the way for a 27-20 win against the Raiders that kept the Chiefs’ record a perfect 7-0 this season.
They also remained perfect in Las Vegas, improving to 5-0 against the Raiders in Allegiant Stadium — where they won Super Bowl LVIII in February.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill was all over the field, at times dropping into coverage. But he was at his best near the line of scrimmage.
On the Chiefs’ game-changing goal-line stand, Tranquill was in on a pair of tackles. In the fourth quarter, he was in the right spot to scoop up a fumble from Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew caused by KC defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
Next: The Chiefs play their second Monday Night Football Game of the season when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: B
Mahomes’ touchdown pass to Travis Kelce was the Chiefs’ first scoring reception of the season by someone other than a wide receiver or offensive lineman (Wayna Morris).
It gave Kelce his 75th career touchdown, and 52 of those have come from Mahomes. Kelce finished this game with a season-best 90 yards receiving on 10 catches (with 12 targets) — all team highs for KC on Sunday.
Rookie Xavier Worthy picked up his team-leading third touchdown reception.
Well done by the newcomer DeAndre Hopkins and the Chiefs’ game planning. Hopkins eased into his Chiefs debut with a pair of first-down receptions. The veteran receiver’s second gained enough yards for Mahomes to surpass 30,000 through the air for his career.
Once again Mahomes got unlucky with a tipped-ball interception. The defense bailed him out, though, with the goal-line stand.
Rushing offense: C
Kareem Hunt and the offensive line ground out yards all afternoon. Hunt picked up his fourth touchdown in four games to open the scoring. The Chiefs ran for 82 yards, with Hunt leading the way at 59.
Passing defense: B
George Karlaftis turned in the biggest play of the first half when he swatted down a screen pass that might have gone for big yards.
Also coming up big early were cornerback Trent McDuffie, whose blitz harassed Minshew into an incompletion that allowed the Chiefs to get a final first-half drive and field goal for a seven-point lead.
The Chiefs’ secondary, already missing Jaylen Watson after last week’s injury, lost his replacement, Nazeeh Johnson, to a concussion.
And Joshua Williams struggled. He collected a pair of penalties that kept alive a Raiders field-goal drive in the third quarter.
Rushing defense: A
The goal-line stand is one of the highlights of this season.
The Raiders turned a Mahomes interception into a golden opportunity at the 3. Karlaftis was credited with a tackle on three straight plays and Tranquill on two.
On fourth down, with the Chiefs leading 17-13, first-year Raiders coach Antonio Pierce elected to go for it from the 3. Turk Wharton and Karlaftis dropped Minshew for a 5-yard loss.
The Raiders’ longest run went for 7 yards. As a team, they rushed for 33. Ferocious stuff by the Chiefs.
Special teams: C
Harrison Butker remained perfect on field goals inside the 50 by nailing a 42-yarder just before halftime. He added a 24-yarder to cap an 87-yard drive.
Rookie safety Jaden Hicks had a highlight play a week ago at San Francisco. This week, not so great. He collected a pair of blocking-in-the-back penalties on kick returns.
For the second straight week the Chiefs faced an onside kick. A week ago against the Niners, the ball didn’t travel far enough.
This time it did, and quick thinking by a pair of Chiefs tight ends saved the day. Jody Fortson touched it first. but the ball bounced away to Noah Gray. Gray didn’t exactly grab it cleanly, but he wound up securing the ball in the end. Fortson, however, was injured on the play.
This story was originally published October 27, 2024 at 6:33 PM.