The Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated, and it’s clear that they find ways to win football games regardless of who they play, how they play, or where they play. By defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20, they continued to show the league that they remain the Super Bowl favorites.
At some point, we knew Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce would get their first touchdown connection of the year. It took into their seventh game, but the dynamic duo found the end zone, setting the tone for Sunday’s win at Las Vegas. Kelce ended up leading the Chiefs with catches and yards. Plus, newcomer DeAndre Hopkins had two receptions for 29 yards, each on third down.
In the game Sunday, Mahomes became the youngest quarterback to reach 30,000 passing yards on a day when he completed 27 of 38 passes and two touchdowns. His fourth-quarter strike to Xavier Worthy was the game-winner.
The Raiders scored a late touchdown, but the Chiefs recovered the onside kick, which unfortunately injured back-up tight end Jody Fortson, who was carted off the field with a knee injury.
Still, the Chiefs defense was the star of the game. After allowing the Raiders to score ten quick points, they made it difficult on Las Vegas Quarterback Gardner Minshew. His fourth-quarter fumble led to the Worthy touchdown, but KC’s defense shut down the Raiders in consecutive red zone opportunities inside the five-yard line.
Their four-down stand, which began when the Raiders began the drive first and goal from the one-yard line, ended three plays later with a sack by Tershawn Wharton on fourth down. The defense had five sacks and just took over in the second half.
In back-to-back days, the Chiefs offense has done a terrific job in the red zone. They scored a trio of touchdowns and a field goal, which swung the game in their favor. Kareem Hunt was a workhorse, getting 59 yards on 21 carries. He found the running lanes tight but did enough to keep the Raider’s defense honest.
The Chiefs’ offense struggled at times, and Mahomes threw another interception, but they must find a solution at left tackle. Wanya Morris struggled mightily guarding Maxx Crosby. I think Head Coach Andy Reid might contemplate giving Kingsley Suamataia another chance.
Conversely, Jawaan Taylor prevented Crosby from registering a single pressure on Mahomes. Morris did the same, but some were because of holding penalties.
On defense, Nazeeh Johnson left the game with a concussion, and his replacement, Joshua Williams, was simply awful. Between a pass interference penalty, a late hit out of bounds, and being lost in basic pass coverage, Brett Veach might want to consider bringing in another veteran cornerback before the trade deadline.
Still, it’s hard to nitpick this team because it is undefeated. The good news is that the Ravens and Bengals both lost, but the genuine contenders to challenge their AFC crown, the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills, both won Sunday.
Chiefs don’t play again until Monday, a week after they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arrowhead.
