Chiefs (somehow) beat Raiders. Three Postgame Takeaways.
- Lewis Green
- Nov 30, 2024
- 7 min read
Somehow, someway, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a Houdini-esque escape against the Las Vegas Raiders—and I mean that—to advance to 11-1. How? Well, folks, it wasn't through sheer talent, brilliance, or execution. No, no. This one had “divine intervention” written all over it.
This game was so absurd, it felt like we were living in a parallel universe where the laws of physics took the night off and let chaos reign. Remember that blocked field goal against Denver last year? Well, we’ve got a sequel on our hands, and it’s just as ridiculous. The Chiefs didn’t win this one on any kind of consistency—they won because, well, stuff just broke their way (as usual).
So, let’s take a deep breath, wipe the sweat off our palms, and dive into the three key takeaways from this heart-stopping, hair-pulling, borderline supernatural win.
Lucky 11-1: The Chiefs' Secret Ingredient? Pure Dumb Luck.
that’s 14 straight one-possession wins for Kansas City, setting a new NFL record. Fourteen. One. Possession. Wins. In a row.
Two minutes to go. The Kansas City Chiefs are up 19-17. The Las Vegas Raiders are marching down the field with their backup quarterback, Aiden O’Connell, looking like the second coming of Tom Brady—cool, calm, collected, effortlessly guiding his team into field goal range. It’s all falling into place for the Raiders. All they need is to manage the clock, kick a chip-shot field goal, and pull off one of the most improbable upsets in recent memory.
And then—boom. Just like that, everything goes sideways.
Enter Jackson Powers-Johnson, the Raiders’ rookie center. Now, to be fair, it’s easy to forget things in the heat of the moment. The pressure’s on, the crowd’s roaring, and you’re trying to snap the ball to your backup quarterback in the most critical moment of the game. But… this was a bit much. Powers-Johnson doesn’t just forget the snap count—he forgets what day it is, what month it is, and quite possibly, what year it is. In a moment of pure chaos, he inexplicably snaps the ball—to no one.
Aiden O’Connell, probably just as shocked as the rest of us, is left trying to react to a ball that’s now bouncing wildly on the turf, like a game of pinball gone horribly wrong. O'Connell can't react fast enough to recover, and the ball ends up in the hands of the Chiefs’ defense. Game over. Chiefs win.
What the f#@?*
If Isaiah Likely’s feet were just one size smaller. If the Bengals didn’t give up a penalty on fourth and forever. If Leo Chenal doesn’t block that game-winning kick against the Broncos. And now, if Jackson Powers-Johnson doesn’t completely whiff on a snap to seal the Raiders' fate... is it luck? Or is there something else going on here?
At this point, Chiefs fans are probably asking themselves: “Is this a sign of destiny, or are we just riding a very thin line of good fortune?” And the answer is… yes. A bit of luck. A bit of skill. And four wins that came down to the wire, each one requiring the Chiefs to lean on both the inexplicable and the inevitable.
We’ve all seen it—those wins that, if they were just a little different, might have gone the other way. But the Chiefs, somehow, are 11-1. Not because they’re perfect, not because they’ve dominated every game, but because when the game is on the line, they find ways to survive. And that, my friends, is the kind of thing that can’t be purely explained by X’s and O’s. Sometimes, it’s about timing. Sometimes, it’s about the moment.
And right now? The Chiefs are owning the moment (and all the lucky stars.)
The Left Tackle Woes: Pressure, Protection, and Playoff Concerns.
In the 19-17 win over the Raiders, Mahomes was sacked five times—tying a career high.
The Chiefs' offensive line has never been a brick wall, but this season, the pressure on Patrick Mahomes has reached a concerning level. In the 19-17 win over the Raiders, Mahomes was sacked five times—tying a career high—highlighting the ongoing struggles with pass protection. And much of that pressure has come from the left side, where the Chiefs’ efforts to solidify the position have been, let's say, a work in progress.
Wanya Morris has been thrust into the starting role at left tackle after the Chiefs gave up on rookie Kingsley Suamataia, who simply couldn't handle the edge rushers early in the season. Morris has shown flashes of potential but has struggled with consistency, often losing battles off the edge that force Mahomes to scramble or take sacks. Against the Raiders, he was repeatedly beaten, and the result was yet another high-pressure game for Mahomes.
To address these issues, the Chiefs signed veteran DJ Humphries, hoping he can bring some stability to the position. Humphries has experience as a starting left tackle and has been solid in the past, but he's battled injuries and will need time to mesh with the rest of the line. His presence could be the answer, but there's little room for error with just five games left in the regular season.
The concerns about left tackle protection go beyond just one bad game or one player—this has been a season-long issue. While the interior of the line (led by Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney) has been steady, the left side has been consistently exploited by opposing pass rushers. The Chiefs have been able to survive these struggles in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different animal. Defenses like the Ravens, Bills, and Bengals all feature pass rushers who could feast on the Chiefs' left tackle troubles.
With the postseason fast approaching, the Chiefs need to get this sorted. Mahomes is great at extending plays, but too much pressure, especially up the middle or from the blindside, can throw off the timing and accuracy of the entire offense. The Chiefs are 11-1 and sitting pretty for now, but unless they shore up their left tackle situation, they could face serious issues when facing top-tier defenses. The clock is ticking—can they fix it in time?
Chiefs Secondary Struggles: A Shaky Back End Since Jaylen Watson’s Injury.
Aiden O’Connell—a backup QB—dropping 318 yards on them? Yikes.
Well folks, it’s official—the Chiefs’ secondary is now a full-blown worry. Once the heart and soul of this defense, the back end of Kansas City’s D has gone from lockdown to leaky, and it’s hard to ignore the steep dropoff since Jaylen Watson went down with a fractured ankle in Week 6.
Last season, with L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie locking down receivers like they were renting out space in the air, this secondary was the unsung hero of the team. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl on the backs of a defense that didn’t let anyone get comfortable in the passing game. And when Jaylen Watson came back from injury this year, DB coach Dave Merritt worked his magic, turning Watson into a near carbon copy of Sneed—a seamless replacement for the guy Kansas City traded to Tennessee. With Watson filling in, the Chiefs were able to mask the loss of Sneed, and all was right in the world. But, as we all know, football is a cruel mistress, and injuries don’t wait for you to be ready.
Fast forward to Week 6: Watson fractures his ankle, and suddenly, the secondary doesn’t look quite so bulletproof. Fast forward to Week 12, and things look downright ugly. In the Chiefs’ 19-17 win over the Raiders, Brock Bowers (a rookie tight end, mind you) went off for 140 yards and a touchdown like it was a regular Tuesday. And who could forget Aiden O’Connell—a backup QB—dropping 318 yards on them? Yikes.
Without Watson, the Chiefs’ depth in the secondary has been tested, and it hasn’t exactly passed with flying colors. Nazeeh Johnson, who’s been filling in, has looked a step slow, and there have been too many lapses in coverage. In the Raiders game, he couldn’t stop Bowers, couldn’t stop anyone. The Chiefs' defensive backs have struggled to cover tight ends, fail to react quickly enough, and—well, let’s just say the pass rush hasn’t been helping much either. But this problem goes beyond one game—it’s been a theme since Watson went down. The Chiefs are still winning games, but when you allow a backup QB and a rookie tight end to have career days against you, things aren’t as rosy as they seem.
Oh, and we can’t forget about the 60-yard touchdown Justin Reid gave up in coverage. Yes, Justin Reid—the guy who’s supposed to be the safety net in the back end—was caught flat-footed on a massive play that let the Raiders back into the game. Reid got burned on that long TD, and it was yet another example of how the Chiefs are struggling to contain receivers, tight ends, and basically anyone with a pulse these days.
The Chiefs are still sitting pretty at 11-1, but with the playoffs looming, these secondary struggles are going to catch up with them if they don’t get it together. Mahomes can only do so much. The Chiefs can no longer bank on a defense that was stout but has been downright suspect since Watson’s injury. If Kansas City is going to make a deep playoff run, they need to fix the back end—fast.
Final Thoughts.
So, here we are—11-1. The Chiefs keep on winning, but boy, this one felt different. If you're a Chiefs fan, you’re probably both relieved and kind of freaked out. I mean, winning is winning, but this one was almost more about luck than skill.
Sure, we’re happy to take the W, but the Chiefs need to wake up and put together a full 60 minutes if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. Because while luck is a beautiful thing, it’s not something you can rely on when the stakes get higher.
Until then, Chiefs Kingdom—let’s enjoy this wild ride. Because, if 2024 has shown us anything, it’s that anything can happen... and sometimes it’s just strange enough to leave us all in shock.
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