The Kansas City Chiefs nearly lost their second game of the 2024 regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13 but were bailed out by an unbelievable penalty on the matchup’s penultimate play.
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell marched Las Vegas downfield on a heroic drive that seemed to have his team in a position to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions on a last-second field goal.
But, when rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson mistakenly snapped the ball to an unsuspecting O’Connell on a crucial third down with 15 seconds left in the game, the Chiefs made the most of the Raiders’ miscue.
Not so Black Friday‼️ pic.twitter.com/G3v21a67yQ
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 29, 2024
Linebacker Nick Bolton lept on the ball, which had deflected off of O’Connell and onto the ground.
A flag, which was assumed to be for a false start on Powers-Johnson, was thrown, and Las Vegas seemed poised to retake possession.
But, after officials on the field deliberated, an illegal shift was called, which gave Kansas City the option to decline the penalty and gain possession.
Patrick Mahomes kneeled on the game’s final play to officially clinch the Chiefs a 19-17 win after a forgettable outing by the reigning Super Bowl champions.