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Printed Dec 25, 2023 • 4 minute learn
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The scent of the victory cigars wafted down the tunnel beneath Arrowhead Stadium, straight from the Las Vegas Raiders within the celebratory visiting locker room to the despondent residence locker room of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
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For one, the scent of success. For the opposite, the stench of a sloppy mess.
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Benefiting from two defensive touchdowns for the second straight week, and using an aggressive mindset that shut down Patrick Mahomes and the remainder of the Kansas Metropolis offence, the Raiders held off the Chiefs 20-14 on Monday to not solely deny their longtime AFC West rival one other division crown however hold their postseason hopes alive.
“That was one in all our mantras,” Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce stated afterward, “by any means vital.”
That meant huge defensive sort out Bilal Nichols returning a fumble 8 yards for a landing, and Jack Jones taking an interception 33 yards for an additional rating 7 seconds later. It meant Aidan O’Connell by no means finishing a move after the primary quarter, but additionally by no means making the identical errors that Mahomes made for Kansas Metropolis on a soggy Christmas Day.
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The Raiders (7-8) turned the primary NFL staff since 2000 to win with out finishing a move after the primary quarter, and solely the fifth staff to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium with out scoring an offensive landing.
“Clearly this was an enormous sport. It’s a rivalry sport,” O’Connell stated. “We play them twice a yr, yearly, so to return into Arrowhead Stadium and win a sport like this, it’s fairly superior. It’s fairly particular for our guys.”
Kansas Metropolis (9-6) hardly helped its trigger: Together with permitting the 2 defensive TDs, Harrison Butker missed a chip-shot subject purpose, penalties and dropped passes had been once more an issue, and twice they didn’t convert on fourth down within the second half.
“They performed a greater sport than we did immediately,” stated Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whose staff has misplaced three of 4. “On offence we struggled. That’s my accountability to verify we put the fellows in the appropriate place to make performs, and that didn’t occur the best way we needed it to. I take full accountability for the best way we performed offensively there.”
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The Chiefs nonetheless had an opportunity within the closing minutes Monday to clinch their eighth straight AFC West title and hold their hopes alive for the No. 1 seed.
However after Mahomes hit Justin Watson for a landing with 2:42 to go, the Raiders’ Zamir White broke unfastened for a 43-yard acquire, selecting up a primary down that allowed them to expire the clock.
Mahomes completed 27 of 44 for 235 yards and the interception; he almost threw a second but it surely was overturned upon assessment.
The Raiders, taking part in with out injured working again Josh Jacobs, received regardless of a dismal day from their offence. White ran for 145 yards, however a lot of that got here on the ultimate possession. O’Connell was simply 9 of 21 for 62 yards, the Raiders had been 0 for 3 within the purple zone and three for 12 on third down, and so they had seven fewer first downs than Kansas Metropolis.
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All that mattered was the rating, although.
“That’s why it’s a staff sport,” O’Connell stated. “It was a staff win.”
Reid had spent the previous few weeks lamenting the psychological errors that stored costing the defending Tremendous Bowl champs, and so they made extra of them Monday than that they had in any sport this season.
They went three-and-out on consecutive collection to begin a sport for less than the second time with Mahomes at quarterback. They had been held to minus-18 yards within the first quarter, the second-worst whole for the membership since at the very least 1991. And the reigning league MVP was sacked twice in these two collection, whereas extra offensive penalties solely made issues worse.
The Chiefs took the lead early when Isiah Pacheco took a direct snap 12 yards for a landing, and Las Vegas gave the ball proper again after a punt. However when Pacheco once more took a direct snap and tried handy to Mahomes, they bobbled the alternate and the 315-pound Nichols was there to scoop it up and run for the landing.
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On the subsequent offensive play for Kansas Metropolis, Mahomes was picked off by Jones, whose 33-yard return gave Las Vegas its fourth defensive TD up to now two weeks, together with a 17-7 lead over its longtime divisional nemesis.
Then, Jones appeared to play the Grinch when he faked giving the ball to a child sporting Chiefs garments within the crowd.
The defensive scores made it 17-7, and it was nonetheless that approach when Butker missed his subject purpose earlier than halftime. The Raiders added one within the third quarter, and that was all of the scoring they wanted to finish a six-game skid towards Kansas Metropolis.
STATS AND STREAKS
The Raiders have 5 defensive TDs this season, their most since 2005. … The primary quarter was the very best by the Raiders protection since holding the Chargers to minus-21 yards on Dec. 1, 1991. … Rashee Rice had six catches to achieve 74 for the season, breaking the Chiefs rookie file of 70 set by Dwayne Bowe in 2007. … Malcolm Koonce had three sacks for the Raiders.
INJURIES
Chiefs: Pacheco went into the concussion protocol within the third quarter when his helmet popped off and he was kicked within the head. … RG Trey Smith damage his leg within the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
The Raiders go to Indianapolis on Sunday.
The Chiefs play Cincinnati on Sunday.
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