It must be a game at Arrowhead because it was ugly on the Raiders side of the ball. The Raiders were never really in this game. They had two turnovers in the first eight minutes, three turnovers in the first half, were behind 21-0 at the half and 31-0 by the end of the third quarter.
The first score for the Raiders came on the first play of the 4th quarter and their touchdown was deep into garbage time. Then, of course, the point after attempt was blocked and returned for a 2-point score to give us the final of 40-9. To say the Raiders didn’t show up would be excusing their on-field implosion.
A few guys came to play, so let’s recognize them before moving on to the refuse.
Top Baller: RB Josh Jacobs
The Raiders got the ball first and for a brief moment, it looked like they had a good game plan that would give them a fighting chance against the Chiefs. That plan was to give the ball to Jacobs early and often. The rookie back broke off a 12-yard run on the second play. Then he had an 8-yard run two plays later and another 8-yard run to give him 28 yards on four carries. They went away from him and turned the ball over, ending the drive before they could cross their own 40-yard-line.
The next Raiders possession started with three-straight runs from Jacobs for 15, 7, and 5 yards, giving him 55 yards on 7 runs. That’s significant because that gave him 1000 yards on the season, making him the first Raiders running back to surpass the mark in four seasons. And, of course, he’s the only Raiders rookie to ever do it. But again they went away from him, thus stalling the drive.
Late in the first half, with the Raiders down 14-0, Jacobs would pick up four yards on third and two. Can you guess what happened then? Yup. They went away from him. Two plays later, Derek Carr would throw his second interception, this one returned for a touchdown.
The next play Jacobs got the left edge and took off for 35 yards. That run put him over 100 yards before halftime. Unfortunately with the Chiefs going up 24-0 after the first drive of the second half, Jacobs got the ball just three more times the rest of the game. Not his fault. He should have been the workhorse. But he still managed 6.1 yards per carry to finish with 104 yards rushing.
Baller: DE Maxx Crosby
Crosby missed just three snaps in this game. He has become the one guy on that defensive line who the Raiders can’t take out of the game regardless of the situation. They want him on that line. They need him on that line. And you’re goddamn right he ordered that code red.
Anyway, as has been the case a lot lately, the rookie edge rusher was one of the few things that was really working for the Raiders, especially on the defense. Despite being selected 102 spots after the first Raiders rookie edge rusher.
He is the team sack leader (7.5) but plays the run equally well. He had a run stop on the Chiefs’ first drive, and on the Chiefs’ third drive, he perfectly played an end-around to stop Tyreek Hill for a 4-yard loss. The drive ended on the next play.
On the first play of the next drive, he got a QB pressure leading to an incompletion. A few plays later, he got another QB pressure. Two plays after that, he had another run stuff for a loss. Unfortunately between those plays, his defensive teammates were giving up chunk plays and the Chiefs drove for their second touchdown of the day.
Crosby would help to hold the first drive of the third quarter to a field goal when he was held at the line on third down. The penalties offset by a Trayvon Mullen holding but instead of an automatic first down, they replayed third down and didn’t convert.
By the start of the 4th quarter, the Chiefs were up 31-3, but Crosby only knows one speed and regardless of the game being out of reach, he was going to play at the same level. On the first two plays, he had his third tackle for loss and yet another QB pressure. But the Chiefs just kept churning out yards and bleeding clock until the were in the end zone again. Credit for trying, Maxx.
Baller: DT Johnathan Hankins
When a defensive tackle who played 64% of the snaps ties for the team lead in tackles (5), that’s impressive. At least it is on his part. Especially when most of those tackles for little or no gain.
The first stop the Raiders defense had on the day was Hankins stuffing a run for no gain on 4th and one. It kept the Raiders from paying for their second turnover of the game.
Hankins did his part to try and stop the Chiefs on their second scoring drive. He and Crosby teamed up for a tackle for loss to set up third and long, but the Chiefs would convert and a couple plays later would score the touchdown.
Another tackle for loss by Hankins in the third quarter to again put the Chiefs in third and long. This time Trayvon Mullen’s interception was wiped away on a highly questionable pass interference penalty after a coach’s challenge. Hankins, nor Mullen, can beat the officials and the Chiefs would score another touchdown on the next play.
Hankins added a couple more run stuffs for 3 yards and no gain to allow a grand total of 3 combined yards on 7 carries through his position in the game. That’s pretty good.
Honorable Mention
Darren Waller – Put up 100 yards on 7 catches. Unfortunately 4 of those catches for 52 of those yards came in garbage time after the Raiders were already down 31-0.
Alec Ingold – Had key blocks on several of Jacobs’s runs and even made a catch of his own for 14 yards.
Buster: QB Derek Carr
Make that six trips to Arrowhead for Derek Carr with no wins to show for it. And it seems like each trip there, his performance is worse than the last. At halftime, he had completed just six passes with two interceptions and a passer rating of 35.8.
By the time the score was 31-0, Carr had still only completed 6 passes on 13 attempts. That was over six possessions.
The first possession ended when he threw for Darren Waller in double coverage and was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu. The Chiefs took the short field and scored their first touchdown.
In the second quarter, with the Chiefs having just scored their second touchdown of the day, Carr would stare down Tyrell Williams and Juan Thornhill easily read it for the pick-six.
The next possession ended after Carr overthrew Zay Jones up the right sideline and Daniel Carlson missed the 44-yard field goal attempt. The Raiders first scoring drive didn’t happen until late in the third quarter and it almost ended with Carr turning the ball over for the third time. He fumbled the snap and luckily Josh Jacobs was able to track it down and fall on it.
The drive would go as far as the 14-yard-line. But would get no closer because on three plays Carr passed up a short completion right and then open field to scramble left to instead throw the ball away, he completed a pass to fullback Alec Ingold for a loss, and finally overthrew Tyrell Williams deep. Three points is not what the Raiders needed down 31-0.
No one cares about the garbage time drive for a touchdown drive and the stats that came with it.
Buster: CB Nevin Lawson
The first time the Chiefs found themselves in third down, they needed ten yards and got 17 with Lawson giving it up to Tyreek Hill. That catch put them in first and goal at the seven. Three plays later, they scored their first touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, Lawson had an easy pass gift wrapped for him over the middle. And he dropped it. Just flat out dropped it. It’s moments like that which perfectly illustrates why Lawson has never intercepted a pass in his six NFL seasons.
The next drive, the Chiefs again found themselves in third and long. Third and 11 and Lawson was flagged for holding for an automatic first down at the Oakland 24-yard-line. They scored the touchdowns two plays later to take a 14-0 lead.
Buster: LB Tahir Whitehead
We pick up the action in the third quarter with the Raiders down 21-0 and the Chiefs in third and 11. Whitehead didn’t just jump offside, but hit Patrick Mahomes to be flagged for roughing the passer to gift the Chiefs a first down. As if they needed the assistance. A few more yards and they added a field goal to go up 24-0.
The next drive began with Travis Kelce getting behind Whitehead for a 47-yard completion. In first down from the 17-yard-line, they would score the touchdown a few plays later (with the help of that highly questionable pass interference that wiped away the Mullen interception).
And finally, Whitehead was driven four yards into the end zone by Darwin Thompson for the Chiefs’ final touchdown. Whitehead finished with just 2 combined tackles (1 solo) despite playing every defensive snap (67).
Buster: WR/KR Trevor Davis
The second time he touched the ball, he turned it over. The Chiefs had just scored their first touchdown and on the ensuing kick return, Davis gave it right back at the Oakland 24-yard-line. It took a fourth and short defensive stand to keep the Chiefs from scoring again.
Two Raiders possessions later, it was their turn to try and convert on 4th and one. And they put it in Davis’s hands. He ran the end around and had a window to turn it upfield, but instead headed for the outside and was stopped for no gain. A turnover on downs is still a turnover which means in four touches, he turned the ball over twice. The Chiefs took the second turnover and this time they scored.
Buster: DE Clelin Ferrell
While the rookie pass rusher who was drafted 102 spots after him is proving to be the Raiders’ best defender, Ferrell has been largely a disappointment.
That second score was way too easy. Patrick Mahomes surveyed the field and then saw plenty of room to run out left and trotted in for the score from 13 yards out. That side of the field was so open because Ferrell was there to cut off the outside edge. He bit on the play fake and went inside where he was blocked in. And everyone else was dropped into coverage.
The third offensive touchdown didn’t go around Ferrell’s position, it went through it. He was blocked on a pitch run out left to LeSean McCoy and he shot in for the score.
Buster: RG Gabe Jackson
Good: He had a block on a 15-yard Jacobs run. Bad: He was flagged for holding and almost single-handedly ended the Raiders’ first drive of the third quarter by giving up a tackle for loss on a run and a sack on Derek Carr on the next play.
Buster: WR Tyrell Williams
Derek Carr has thrown a pick-six two weeks in a row. And both passes were ones in which he stared down Tyrell Williams. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Carr should have looked off Williams when he was covered, but Williams should also be better at shaking defenders.
Williams saw four targets and caught just one pass for 9 yards. Three tight ends and two running backs had better days than that. He may have had more targets too had he been able to get some separation.
Buster: HC Jon Gruden
After the game, the Chiefs defenders were saying they had figured out the Raiders offensive calls so they knew when Derek Carr was throwing deep. The Chiefs certainly had the Raiders’ number. It looked like they had Gruden’s playbook on speed dial. Every time Gruden went away from Josh Jacobs, the Chiefs made the Raiders pay.
Buster: PK Daniel Carlson
No kicker in football was more dependable than Carlson was after joining the Raiders midway through the season. He shanked a 44-yard field goal attempt in this game when the Raiders were desperate to get on the board. He has now missed a field goal in four of his last five games. That can’t continue. He needs to get his mind right and fast.
