TC Martin

Raiders Fall Short, Impressive in Loss     

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The Las Vegas Raiders may have lost the game, but they gained enormous respect with a gritty performance.  Despite losing 30-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Silver & Black played well enough to win and displayed a style of play that we haven't seen in the past several years. 

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Unfortunately for the Raiders, they were facing their arch nemesis who were not about to begin a trend of losing in Las Vegas.  Kansas City loves playing in Allegiant Stadium where they have never lost including winning the Super Bowl two years ago. 

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Patrick Mahomes put on his usual show despite coming of ACL Surgery in the off-season.  Mahomes threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns and delivered the dagger with Kansas City trailing 19-17 with a 55-yard strike to Tyquan Thornton down to the Raiders two-yard line with 3:25 remaining in the game.   

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That started a strange sequence of plays in a short amount of time.  Thornton fractured his ankle on the play and after a lengthy delay he was carted off the field.  The next play Kenneth Walker scored the go-ahead touchdown to give Kansas City the lead 23-19.  

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The Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff giving the Chiefs the ball deep in Las Vegas territory.  The very next play Walker scampered 22 yards for the touchdown and within 10 seconds Kansas City flipped the game in building a 30-19 lead.  Walker ended up with 177 rushing yards. 

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Kirk Cousins did his best bringing the Raiders back with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to make it a three-point game.  The defense held Kansas City on a three and out and had one more opportunity in the final minute, but an interception ended the game at the Chiefs 36-yard line denying the Raiders a chance to force overtime.  

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Cousins showed his experience and clutch play making by throwing for 365 yards completing 31 of 52 passes.  Cousins used his two tight ends as the focal point as Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer combined on 14 catches for 168 yards.  Cousins stayed in the pocket and took a beating from an aggressive Chiefs defense, but he stayed the course and had an outstanding game.  

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The Raiders fell to 3-1 and are in a stretch of tough games.  They will travel to New England next week and then host Buffalo the following Sunday back at Allegiant.