‘He had an unbelievable day’: How KC Chiefs’ Mike Hughes seized opportunity vs. Raiders
The play unfolded so fast that even the CBS camera crew couldn’t keep up.
On the first snap of Sunday’s game, Chiefs defensive tackle Jarran Reed threw Raiders running back Josh Jacobs to the ground, jarring the ball loose. In an instant, cornerback Mike Hughes scooped up the fumble with one hand and took off toward the end zone.
The next 23 yards were a blur as he zipped in for the defensive touchdown.
Neither the Raiders nor the television broadcast could catch up with Hughes until he was celebrating in the end zone. Just like that, mere seconds into the first quarter, the Chiefs led by a touchdown.
“Whenever you get a big play like that on the first play of the game, it builds that momentum, that confidence in the entire team,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “It just sparked us to go out there and get a win.”
Hughes played a big role for the Chiefs throughout their 48-9 trouncing of the Raiders, recording two forced fumbles and a team-high eight solo tackles (nine combined) in addition to the defensive touchdown.
“He had an unbelievable day,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Hughes learned he would be starting Sunday’s game on Saturday afternoon, tasked with filling the spot of L’Jarius Sneed, who had traveled back to his hometown of Minden, Louisiana after his older brother was stabbed and killed on Friday.
“He was on everybody’s mind,” Hughes said of Sneed. “We wanted to play for him ... and we went out there and did that. So it felt good to get that dub (win) for him.”
The breakout performance had to feel good for Hughes on a personal level, too.
After being drafted 30th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, he was traded for virtually nothing that offseason. Kansas City received Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round pick from Minnesota in exchange for a sixth-round pick (also for the 2022 draft).
Hughes had a game-sealing interception to ensure the Chiefs’ 33-29 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, but since then he had been mostly quiet as he split snaps between defense and special teams.
“Even when things didn’t go great early and he wasn’t getting as many reps and shots that have been there, Mike just kept on working,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said Monday. “I mean, he was a pro about it. I think he’s been in the league long enough to know that at some point his number was going to be called. And he was ready for it.”
Hughes had played on just 50 snaps across the five games leading up to Sunday’s game against Las Vegas. But he made the most of his opportunity against the Raiders, remaining on the field for all 63 of the Chiefs’ defensive plays on Sunday.
“You’ve seen him progress, and you kind of favor those guys that work through the tough spots,” Reid said. “He’s been playing well within the defense.”
On third-and-4 with around five minutes left in the second quarter and the Chiefs leading 28-0, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw a 19-yard pass up the middle to Hunter Renfrow.
Hughes snuck up behind the wide receiver as he tried to gain extra yardage and knocked the ball out of his hands, forcing a fumble around the 50-yard line. Raiders tight end Foster Moreau tried to dive on the ball, but safety Tyrann Mathieu recovered it at the 38-yard line.
The Chiefs went on to score their fifth touchdown and take a 35-0 lead on their ensuing drive.
The game was all but over at that point. It had tipped in the Chiefs’ favor during the opening seconds, but that didn’t stop Hughes from continuing to attack relentlessly.
“Those guys were carrying the ball pretty loose,” Hughes said. “I saw some soft spots and I took my shots.”
On the final snap before the two minute warning, Hughes threw a right-handed jab at the football, knocking it loose from the hands of Raiders wide receiver Zay Jones. Safety Juan Thornhill recovered it at the 11-yard line and the Chiefs ran out the clock.
Hughes’ second forced fumble put the final stamp on the Chiefs’ victory, ensuring they’d hold their third straight opponent under 10 points. He’d gotten the start due to unforeseen circumstances, but he proved a catalyst for the defense throughout.
“His time has been coming for a long time now,” Mathieu said. “I think right now he’s playing with that confidence, that swagger … His energy is creating energy and that’s what our team, defensively, that’s what we feed off.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 1:55 PM with the headline "‘He had an unbelievable day’: How KC Chiefs’ Mike Hughes seized opportunity vs. Raiders."
