How Raiders beat Chiefs in game with 8 field goals (giving KC top-10 draft pick)
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs lost 14-12 to Raiders, finished 6-11 and secured ninth pick.
- Raiders won on Daniel Carlson’s 60-yard FG; game featured eight field goals.
- Young players flashed (Williams, Smith); Chiefs must address QB backup and depth.
The Kansas City Chiefs closed their season with a 14-12 loss to the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs finish with a 6-11 record, their worst since 2012. With Sunday’s loss, they are set to pick ninth in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Here are some immediate observations from KC’s Week 18 defeat:
Turning point: Daniel Carlson’s 60-yarder stuns the Chiefs
After a safety gave the Raiders an 11-6 lead, Chiefs defensive end Ethan Downs forced a fumble on the ensuing punt, and linebacker Jack Cochrane recovered it.
That gave Kansas City the ball at Las Vegas’ 21-yard line, and the Chiefs turned it into three points to cut the hosts’ lead to 11-9. Then came a three-and-out, setting up the throw of the day from Shane Buechele.
Buechele took a took a deep drop back, airing it 51 yards downfield to wide receiver Hollywood Brown, who ran a deep post that broke toward the left sideline. Kansas City couldn’t find the end zone, but Harrison Butker’s 41-yard field goal seemed like it would be enough to give his club the first 12-11 win in NFL history.
The problem was that the opposing kicker — the Raiders’ Daniel Carlson — answered with a 60-yard field goal. With only eight seconds remaining on the clock, that was enough to win the game.
Rapid reaction: Learning the little things with not much to play for
In a game that meant nothing for the postseason, I felt the Chiefs at least learned a little about their 2026 roster on Sunday.
Two 2025 draft picks — third-round cornerback Nohl Williams and seventh-round running back Brashard Smith — flashed, showing they belonged despite the circumstances of the game.
Williams had two pass breakups against capable receivers Tyler Lockett and Tre Tucker, a near-interception and a vicious sack on one of Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive back blitzes. With Isiah Pacheco inactive, Smith looked the part, compiling 12 rushes for 56 yards (a solid 4.7 yards per carry).
Fourth-round receiver Jalen Royals finally recorded the first two catches of his career.
Kudos are in order for veterans like Nick Bolton and tight end Travis Kelce, who played with energy when they could have taken it easy. Defensive tackle Chris Jones added a pair of sacks, and cornerback Kristian Fulton had three pass breakups.
As Kansas City’s evaluators learned some good things, there was the bad, too.
Coming into the game, KC head coach Andy Reid acknowledged Chris Oladokun’s start would be an audition to become Patrick Mahomes’ backup at quarterback — a role that carries added weight with Mahomes expected to spend much of the offseason rehabbing an ACL.
I’m not sure if Oladokun or Buechele are feasible options.
Oladokun managed just 58 yards and coughed the ball up twice. And while Buechele started out looking sharp in the third quarter and had his moments (like the deep shot to Brown), he was unable to turn two short fields into six points.
The Chiefs would be smart to retain Gardner Minshew or look for veteran experience elsewhere.
Critical stat: Travis Kelce joins the 13K club
With 3 yards against the Raiders, Kelce became the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach the 13,000-yard mark. Watching at home, Patrick Mahomes posted “13K” with a muscle emoji to his official X account.
This story was originally published January 4, 2026 at 6:49 PM with the headline "How Raiders beat Chiefs in game with 8 field goals (giving KC top-10 draft pick)."
