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Chiefs fend off Raiders' upset bid after Las Vegas blows potential game-winning field goal chance
Kansas City becomes the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, and it happened after a second wild NFL finish in two days
The Kansas City Chiefs are finding weird ways to win this season. Friday was the weirdest way of all.
The Las Vegas Raiders were in field goal range with less than 20 seconds left, and they were trying to get closer. Rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson then snapped to quarterback Aidan O’Connell in shotgun before he was ready, and it hit him in the chest. The Chiefs fell on the ball and after a long conference between the officials, they ruled the Chiefs had recovered the fumble. Game over. Chiefs win 19-17.
The Raiders fumble it, the Chiefs recover it to seal the game ‼️#LVvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/WvNvUONRM5— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
After the game, Powers-Johnson took the blame for the blunder, saying it was a miscommunication between he and O'Connell.
Likewise, O'Connell took accountability, saying: "it was completely my fault. I was looking out to right, making sure guys were set and I started clapping. In my head I was thinking signal the ball to get the ball, but when I start clapping it tells Jackson, basically, snap the ball. Jackson did exactly what he should have done and I clapped too early."
Kansas City is doing just enough to get by, and they seem to find a way to win close games over inferior teams every week. Amazingly, that’s been good enough for a 11-1 record. The Chiefs looked unimpressive yet again on Friday, but as usual they found a way to win. This time it was holding off the Las Vegas Raiders, who are now 2-10.
The Chiefs are now the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot, but their issues are legitimate. Their offensive tackles are struggling badly. The offensive skill-position talent is good but doesn’t have a lot of explosive speed outside of Xavier Worthy, who is an unreliable rookie. The defense this season has been good but short of what it was last season.
And despite all of that, the Chiefs are 11-1. And as we all learned last season, when the games matter most in January, the Chiefs’ issues just seem to fade away once the postseason starts and they’re marching to another Super Bowl. But they shouldn’t be barely beating teams like the Raiders.
Chiefs struggle early
Early on the game seemed to be there for the taking for the Raiders. They just kept blowing opportunities.
The Raiders were able to move the ball well enough but couldn’t do enough on the Chiefs’ side of the field. Daniel Carlson missed two long field goals. The Raiders, one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL over many years, also got stuffed on a fourth-and-1 handoff at the Chiefs’ 31.
Late in the third quarter, right before O’Connell took a 15-yard sack that led into Carlson missing another field goal, the Raiders were outgaining the Chiefs. And they trailed 13-3.
Finally, the Raiders made a move. Ameer Abdullah had a long kickoff return and then electric rookie tight end Brock Bowers had a great touchdown grab from 33 yards out. The Raiders trailed 16-10.
Once again, the back-to-back champion Chiefs were in a closer game than anyone expected against one of the worst teams in the NFL. Then it got serious as the Raiders took a fourth-quarter lead.
Raiders hit a big play
On the first play of the fourth quarter, O’Connell threw deep down the left sideline. Tre Tucker got behind the Chiefs secondary and caught a 58-yard touchdown that gave the Raiders a lead and gave everyone a jolt.
At that moment, eight seconds into the fourth quarter, the Raiders had outplayed the Chiefs. At Arrowhead Stadium. With O’Connell returning from injury to play his first game in over a month.
The Chiefs put together a drive into Raiders territory, though that stalled when both tackles were beaten on a third-and-goal play and Kansas City settled for a field goal and a 19-17 lead. Mahomes was visibly upset after that play, and on the next series guard Joe Thuney replaced Wanya Morris at left tackle. That’s a situation the Chiefs have to figure out before the playoffs.
The Raiders had a shot to take a late lead. They drove into Chiefs territory in the final minutes. But with 2:17 left, not facing a decent option on fourth-and-11, Carlson tried a 58-yard field goal and was well short for his third miss of the day. Carlson has been one of the best kickers in the NFL over his career, but the Chiefs caught him on what might be his worst day as a pro.
And because the Chiefs couldn’t put the game away, the Raiders had yet another chance. Bowers had a huge 25-yard catch down the middle to get the Raiders close to field-goal range, and then Jakobi Meyers and Ameer Abdullah made catches to get Las Vegas even closer. But the Raiders screwed up the shotgun snap, the Chiefs fell on it and the game was over.
The play call came in late, and with the play clock winding down, O’Connell started clapping almost as soon as the huddle broke for the snap to come quickly. The left guard tapped Powers-Johnson, who snapped it before O’Connell was ready. It bounced off O'Connell and the Chiefs fell on it to end the game.
The Chiefs haven’t played well for much of the season. But their record is still almost pristine, somehow.
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