Down 17 to nothing, the Chiefs had two choices: man up or lay down. When you find yourself in a large deficit you must lean on your talented stars to make things happen for your team. That’s what the Chiefs did. The Chiefs put the ball in Patrick Mahomes hand’s, and he slung it all over the field putting them in positions to score and ultimately win a tight, tough rivalry game.
Questionable Defensive Penalty
The Chiefs had just scored their first touchdown. The Raiders were driving the ball and draining the clock down to half time. It’s 3rd and 8 on the Raiders 46-yard line. Chris Jones bursts through the line and grabs the ball out of Derek Carr’s hand as he sacks and takes him to the ground. As Jones is falling to the ground on top of Carr, threw his left arm out to brace his fall and not let his full body weight fall on the Carr. He was still penalized. He shouldn’t have been. The fifteen-yard penalty put the Raiders in a position to eventually kick a field goal. Arrowhead was as loud as I have ever heard it. In true midwestern fashion, the fans booed and chanted bullshit until half time. Rightfully so. Chris Jones followed the rules and was still penalized. Penalties like this, which have the potential to change the color of a game, must be reviewable. College football reviews all targeting calls. The NFL should review roughing the quarterback calls.
Questionable Play Calls
Both teams had questionable play calls. After the Chiefs scored their last touchdown, Coach Reid opted to go for two points. He had the seven-point lead, and two points makes it a two score game. I appreciate the aggressiveness. However, going up by eight forces the opposing team to have to score a two-point conversion to tie. While I appreciate aggressiveness, I think you take the point, go up by eight and rely on your defense.
Later, during the Chief’s last drive, it was 3rd and 3 on the Raiders 46-yard line. Three receivers were lined up to the left, and Coach Reid called levels play where you have three receivers flowing from left to right at 3 different depths on the field. To me this is a great 2nd down call, however on 3rd down you have limited yourself to throwing down the field, as the closet receiver was about 10 yards beyond the first down marker. I was not a fan of that call, and it was poorly executed as Mahomes grossly overthrew Mecole Hardman.
The Las Vegas Raiders did not do themselves any favors. Though Carr and Davante Adams put on fireworks show, Coach McDaniels mismanaged the end of the game. When the Raiders scored their last touchdown of the game, they were in position to tie the game. His play call made sense. Josh Jacobs had been gashing the Chiefs defense for big yardage all game long. However, you had to know they would crowd the line of scrimmage. McDaniels went for the win and was handed a loss. Had he kicked the extra point the game might have went to overtime.
Kelce Gold
Count them! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!! It was a great performance by the 33-year-old. His first two touchdown receptions came on 3rd and goal to go. Someone had to step up in the red-zone and Kelce was clutch for his team.
Playing thru Adversity
The Raiders scouted the Chiefs well. They found a weakness on the defensive line and exploited it throughout the game. The Raiders were running over the Chiefs. They gave up 154 rushing yards and a touchdown to Josh Jacobs alone. The Raiders rode Jacobs and Adams to a 17-0 lead.
Everyone knows that Adams is Carr’s favorite target. Adams was targeted seven times during the game. His first target was a 58-yard touchdown throw. Carr literally dropped the ball into Adams hands as he crossed into the endzone. Adams only caught two more passes the rest of the game. He is a star. Three catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns is a good night for anyone, however the Chiefs kept him from catching the other four balls that came his way.
Despite Jacobs and Adams doing their best to put the game away, the Chiefs would not be denied. They battled back. After the Raiders scored late in the second half, the Chiefs has 17 seconds to score. They marched the ball to the Raiders 41-yard line and with three seconds to go in the half Matthew Wright kicked a 59-yard field goal.
The beginning of the third quarter is always a critical point in the game, especially when you are down. Patrick Mahomes challenged his offensive line to protect him, and they answered the call. The Chiefs came out and drove the field for a touchdown for their first possession of the game. Their defense forced a three and out. The Raiders helped by committing offensive pass interference and a delay of game penalty. The Chiefs pinned their ears back and went after Carr forcing him to intentionally ground the ball. Another flag flew and soon the Raiders punted. The Chiefs marched down the field again and scored. They dominated the third quarter.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. During the Chiefs first possession of the fourth quarter, they were ahead by one point. The Raiders forced a 4th and 14 on their own 18-yard line. The Chiefs opted to kick the field goal. The attempt failed. However, the Raiders committed a defensive holding call. The penalty resulted in an automatic first down, giving the Chiefs new life. Kelce caught his fourth touchdown four plays later.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter but the Chiefs found a way to survive. Ultimately the Chiefs embodied the city they represent. They persevered thru adversity. Kelce was thankful to the fans for coming out and supporting the Chiefs on a Monday night. Next week the Chiefs host the Bills in a colossal match up.