How thoroughly did the KC Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders? Let us recount the ways
A scoop-and-score play set the tone early at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs defensive tackle Jarran Reed stuffed Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and forced a fumble on the first offensive play of the game. Chiefs cornerback Mike Hughes secured the loose ball and ran 23 yards untouched for the touchdown.
The rest was history as the Chiefs used the early momentum to cruise to a 48-9 win, their season-high six in row. The Chiefs also swept their divisional rival in the annual two-game series in dominant fashion, outscoring the Raiders 89-23 this season.
The Chiefs’ defense turned in another masterful performance Sunday, with four sacks, an interception and four fumble recoveries. Sunday marked the sixth straight game in which the Chiefs held an opponent to less than 17 points, and also the third straight game an opponent didn’t score at least 10.
“Any time you can put together four or five turnovers in a game, you’re probably going to come out on the right end of the stick,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Over the past month, the Chiefs have relied on their defense to help carry them during this winning streak. They didn’t have to do it by defense (or special teams) alone this time.
Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs totaled 372 yards of offense, averaging 6.5 yards per play. Mahomes completed 20 of 24 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Josh Gordon, for a 139.2 passer rating.
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire also produced a gem, rushing for 37 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Sunday marked the second time in Edwards-Helaire’s career he’s scored two rushing touchdowns. The first time occurred in November 2020, also against the Raiders.
“I thought the offense did a nice job of moving the ball, taking time off that second half, which was important being able to run the ball and be able to still throw efficiently,” Reid said. “I thought Pat had a nice day along with the offensive line. Receivers caught the ball and did well there.”
With the win, the Chiefs improved to 9-4 entering Thursday night’s AFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers.
DROUGHT OVER
Mahomes had gone two straight games without a touchdown pass before Sunday afternoon. That streak is over, too.
The Chiefs’ signal-caller snapped it in the first quarter when he found running back Darrel Williams in the left flat. Williams did the rest with a nifty 23-yard run down the sideline, complete with a hurdle over a Raiders defender near the goal line for a touchdown.
Mahomes’ day also featured another notable play in the first half. He connected with wide receiver Mecole Hardman for a 44-yard gain in the first quarter, marking the longest pass play since the two hooked up for a hooked up for 49 yards against the Washington Football Team in Week 6.
If Mahomes had a good day, that meant other players responsible for catching his passes did their jobs.
Tyreek Hill, who entered the game with 954 yards receiving, totaled four catches for 76 yards. He now has 1,030 through 13 games, the fourth 1,000-yard season of his career, tying for the second-most in team history with tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Mahomes thrives in games against the Raiders. He entered the game averaging 326.8 yards passing and 2.8 touchdowns per game in seven career matchups against the silver and black.
“I think it’s just you understand that it’s going to be a battle,” Mahomes said of his history against the Raiders. “You understand that there’s a rivalry for a reason. You can feel that just being around people in Kansas City. Even though you didn’t grow up here, you feel like you’ve played this team for years.”
SACK PARTY
The Chiefs’ pass rush did its best to make Raiders quarterback Derek Carr uncomfortable in the first quarter. Chris Jones and Melvin Ingram split a sack, while Frank Clark and Tershawn Wharton combined for a takedown and Alex Okafor recorded a team-high 1.5 sacks.
The pressure didn’t stop there.
Clark had a team-high six quarterback hits.
Ingram made an incredible play that won’t show up in the box score. Clark’s and Wharton’s combined sack doesn’t happen if not for Ingram’s pass rush. At the snap of the ball, Ingram, who lined up at left defensive end, got under the pads of Raiders right tackle Brandon Parker and pushed the offensive lineman a good 2-3 yards into Carr to collapse the pocket.
“The defensive line, I thought the pressure that they applied up front was just top notch,” Reid said. “Derek could never quite get comfortable back there throwing the ball, and then that makes everyone’s job just a little bit easier.”
HUGHES HAS A DAY
With L’Jarius Sneed inactive, the Chiefs turned to Hughes to start at right cornerback. He didn’t disappoint.
Hughes got the Chiefs on the scoreboard with the fumble returned for a touchdown, but he also forced two fumbles with perfectly timed punches at the football. And he totaled a team-high nine tackles.
“(No.) 21 had an unbelievable day,” Reid said.
The Chiefs had Hughes focus solely on defense, so that meant Hardman would resume the role of punt returner against the Raiders.
REID IN SELECT COMPANY
With Sunday’s win, Reid joined Marty Schottenheimer (101) and Hank Stram (124) as the only head coaches in Chiefs history to record 100 regular season wins.
Reid, hired by the Chiefs in 2013, has guided the team to five straight AFC West division titles and back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, including a win in Super Bowl LIV. Earlier this season, he became the first head coach in NFL history to win at 100 games, including the postseason, with two different teams.
Reid and Stram are the only coaches in Chiefs history to win a Super Bowl.
INJURIES
None of note.
INACTIVES
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, offensive lineman Kyle Long, offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanagho, rookie cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and rookie quarterback Shane Buechele were not dressed for the game.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 3:06 PM with the headline "How thoroughly did the KC Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders? Let us recount the ways."
