The Raiders had Kansas City on the ropes for stretches Sunday, but the Chiefs still walked out of Allegiant Stadium with their undefeated record intact after a 30-27 win.
What swung the game wasn’t a highlight from one of the Chiefs’ biggest names. It was a special teams play late, when Chiefs linebacker and gunner Jeffrey Bassa forced the game’s first turnover on Dareke Young during a kickoff return. That gave Kansas City the ball back, and one snap later Kenneth Walker III turned the corner for a 22-yard touchdown that all but sealed it.
“That’s a big factor in winning and losing,” said Raiders head coach Kubiak on the team’s two turnovers. “We know that and, obviously, we gave them too many opportunities tonight.”
That sequence came after another moment that stung Las Vegas earlier in the game. Following an illegal formation penalty on the Chiefs after a Matt Gay field goal, Kubiak chose to go for it on fourth-and-two near the Kansas City red zone. The Chiefs defense stopped the attempt cold.
“We were going to be aggressive going in the game,” explained Kubiak on his decision. “I don’t regret it. I regret not getting it.”
Those were the kinds of plays that separated the two teams Sunday: the Chiefs made the clean, veteran decisions and the Raiders paid for the mistakes that come with inexperience.
Kansas City leaned on a huge day from Walker, who piled up 177 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Patrick Mahomes didn’t have to force much, but he still delivered 225 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Tyquan Thornton was the top weapon in the passing game, finishing with 111 yards and both receiving touchdowns on five catches before leaving in the fourth quarter with a gruesome injury.
The Raiders, meanwhile, never really got their run game moving. They finished with just 72 rushing yards and a 2.8-yard average per carry, leaving Kirk Cousins to carry most of the offense.
Cousins did his part. He threw for 365 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on the final play of the game, a turnover that came when the Raiders couldn’t get set in time. That was another rough edge in a game shaped by their youth and timing issues.
Much of Cousins’ production went through the tight ends. Brock Bowers led the team with 86 yards on six catches and scored a touchdown, Michael Mayer caught eight passes for 82 yards, and Ian Thomas added two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.
“They’re an impressive group,” credited Kubiak on the tight end room. “[Tight ends coach] Luke Steckel is an impressive coach and we count on them every week.”
Las Vegas also got some work done on defense, even if it didn’t force a turnover for the first time this season. Quay Walker recorded a sack, while Adam Butler and Maxx Crosby combined for another. Rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses had a shaky start against Thornton, but he settled in and finished with two pass breakups.
The loss sends the Raiders into their first defeat of the season, and they’ll try to bounce back next week against the New England Patriots in a cross-country matchup.
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