Raiders’ disastrous fumble helps Chiefs win another nail-biter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs achieved the first of their 2024 goals on Black Friday by clinching a playoff spot in their 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was another ugly victory that was too close for comfort for the defending Super Bowl champions, after they let a 13-point third-quarter lead become a one-possession lead by the fourth quarter. The Raiders looked in position to pull off a major upset as they got into field goal position with 14 seconds remaining while trailing by 2 points. But an illegal shift penalty and turnover by the offense cost Las Vegas a chance to kick a winning field goal.

Next for the Chiefs, they hope to win a ninth consecutive AFC West championship. They can clinch the division title by beating the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 8 at Arrowhead Stadium. The 11-1 Chiefs also lead the rest of the AFC in the chase for the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Describe the game in two words: Pacheco is back. Running back Isiah Pacheco played for the first time since breaking his leg in a Week 2 game. Pacheco delivered a big play on a third-quarter field goal drive with a 34-yard run.

Promising trend: The Chiefs, who had just two sacks in their past two games, sacked Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell three times. Defensive tackle Chris Jones had been held without a sack since a Week 4 game against the Chargers but dropped O’Connell twice.

Eye-popping stat: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ second-quarter touchdown pass to receiver Justin Watson had a completion probability of 26.6%, according to Next Gen Stats. That’s his lowest completion probability on a touchdown pass since 2021, when he had a fourth-quarter touchdown throw to Darrel Williams in Week 10 against the Raiders (22%).

Prediction for next week: Cornerback Josh Williams will remain in the starting lineup. He replaced Nazeeh Johnson in the second quarter against the Raiders after Johnson was beaten badly on a long pass. Williams, who has played well at times for the Chiefs, was an upgrade over Johnson. — Adam Teicher

Next game: vs. Chargers (Dec. 8, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce raised more than eyebrows when he acknowledged a certain narrative surrounding the Black Friday game, saying it was “the best team in football against the worst team in football.” Neither team, though, looked its respective part in the Chiefs’ win. Everything goes out the window in rivalry games, and there’s something about holiday week games at Arrowhead, what with the Raiders having upset the Chiefs there last Christmas. Pragmatically, scaring the two-time defending Super Bowl champs is the definition of a moral victory for Las Vegas, while the loss keeps the Raiders, in need of reinforcements for a rebuild, on pace for a top-three draft pick.

Most surprising performance: Kicker Daniel Carlson missing three field goals. Sure, they were a trio of long attempts — from 56, 55 and 58 yards — and in the cold. But what made the misses so surprising was that Carlson had made 18 straight field goals before coming up just short on the first and third and hooking the second wide left.

Promising trend: The Raiders entered the game with the worst rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 74.6 yards on the ground per game. They rushed for 116 yards against the Chiefs, who entered the day with the No. 3-ranked rush defense.

Prediction for next week: More deep balls. Indeed, the vertical game is embedded in the Raiders’ DNA, so it should not be surprising if Las Vegas takes more deep shots next week at Tampa Bay. But with Aidan O’Connell back, and his ability to throw the ball deeper than the injured Gardner Minshew, expect a back-to-the-future vibe authored by interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner and assisted by his father, Norv, with speedy receiver Tre Tucker, who hauled in a 58-yard TD in Kansas City.

QB breakdown: O’Connell is who we thought he was. Making his first appearance since breaking the thumb on his right (passing) hand Oct. 20, O’Connell was comfortable in the pocket and throwing deep but also displayed his trademark lack of mobility. He passed for 340 yards, completing 23 of 35 passes, but took three sacks, including one that knocked the Raiders out of field goal range.

Pivotal play: O’Connell was not ready for Jackson Powers-Johnson‘s snap at the Chiefs’ 38-yard line with 14 seconds to play, and, with the Raiders in position for a winning field goal attempt, the ball bounced off his chest and was recovered by Chiefs LB Nick Bolton. Ballgame. — Paul Gutierrez

Next game: at Buccaneers (Dec. 8, 1 p.m. ET)