The Raiders had a chance for an upset win but a bizarre late blunder cost them dearly. Which players stood out, for better or for worse?
The Raiders had a chance to upset the Chiefs in Kansas City but a huge last-second blunder cost them dearly, leading to a 19-17 defeat for Las Vegas on Black Friday.
After driving to within field goal range with a few seconds left in the game, center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the football before quarterback Aidan O’Connell was ready for the third-down play, resulting in a fumble that the Chiefs (11-1) recovered.
The miscue ruined a spirited effort from Las Vegas on national television. Here are the winners and losers after the Raiders lost their eighth straight game and fell to 2-10.
Loser: C Jackson Powers-Johnson and G Dylan Parham
Let’s get the losers out of the way first this week because many Raiders performed well in this one. The blunder of the game wasn’t all Powers-Johnson’s fault. Guard Dylan Parham tapped him on the knee, typically a signal to snap the ball.
After the game, O’Connell provided clarity on the fumble: He clapped for the snap too early, putting the wheels in motion for Parham and Powers-Johnson. But clearly, it was an awful look for the Raiders’ two linemen.
Coach Antonio Pierce could have kicked a field goal rather than running a third-down play at all. He said postgame that he planned to throw the ball away and waste a few seconds before trying to win with a field goal from kicker Daniel Carlson on fourth down.
Loser: K Daniel Carlson
Carlson was robbed of an opportunity to make up for three missed field goals. They were all long attempts, including a 58-yard try when the Raiders were down 19-17 the drive before the fateful late fumble.
Loser: OT Kolton Miller
One of Carlson’s long misses came after a sack surrendered by offensive tackle Kolton Miller. The play resulted in a loss of 15 yards and ruined a spectacular one-handed catch from tight end Brock Bowers earlier in the drive.
Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell
O’Connell returned from injury on a short week and balled out. He finished with 340 passing yards and two touchdowns, completing 23 of his 35 attempts. O’Connell provided a glimpse of what this offense could have become had he begun the year as the starter and didn’t get injured.
His part in the last-second fumble is a definite downer for O’Connell, but he played exceptionally overall.
Winner: TE Brock Bowers
Bowers took advantage of the national stage and turned in a spectacular performance. His 33-yard touchdown reception came after an impressive one-handed catch the drive before. He ended up with 140 receiving yards, catching 10 of his 14 targets.
Winner: WR Tre Tucker
The Raiders defense forced a three-and-out for Kansas City after Bowers’ touchdown and the offense responded with a 58-yard touchdown bomb from O’Connell to wide receiver Tre Tucker. The play gave Las Vegas a 17-16 lead just as the fourth quarter began.
Winner: RB Ameer Abdullah
Bowers’ touchdown grab was set up by a timely kickoff return by running back Ameer Abdullah. The Raiders had fallen behind 16-3 before Abdullah ran the kick back 68 yards to the Chiefs’ 26-yard line.
Winner: RB Sincere McCormick
The Raiders ran the ball well on Friday and finished with an impressive 116 yards on the ground. They couldn’t have done it without a recent practice squad call-up, running back Sincere McCormick. He had 64 yards on 12 carries, good for an average of 5.3 yards per attempt.
Winner: OC Scott Turner
The Raiders outgained the Chiefs in this game, racking up 434 yards compared to 329 for Kansas City. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner deserves a lot of the credit, especially as he quickly adapted to O’Connell’s skill set after the injury to QB Gardner Minshew last week.
Winner: DE K’Lavon Chaisson
The Raiders mixed coverages all afternoon on defense, and when they weren’t blitzing, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson provided a ton of pressure. He had multiple QB sacks, a tackle for loss, and three QB hits. His pressures were sudden and impactful, as he flew by the Chiefs offensive line on several occasions.
Winner: DE Maxx Crosby
This game was promoted as a battle between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Crosby was under pressure to perform and he came through in a big way. He had a QB sack, two tackles for loss, and four QB hits. He was a menace all afternoon, despite constant attention from the Chiefs’ pass protection; Crosby was even triple-teamed at one point.
Winner: DC Patrick Graham
No guts, no glory. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham played a lot of man coverage and trusted his cornerbacks to play one-on-one as he called for the blitz early and often. He also mixed coverages, as Crosby dropped back to cover on at least one occasion. Altogether, his game plan worked exceptionally well.
Winner: HC Antonio Pierce
Despite the defeat and the late mistake from his offense, coach Antonio Pierce had a good day overall. His team played hard, and Turner unlocked the running game that Pierce planned to rely on this season.
In hindsight, he should have tried for a potential game-winning field goal on third down before the infamous fumbled snap. But it’s also easy to imagine the Raiders attempting a field goal and winning if they hadn’t fumbled. In the big picture, this effort will help Pierce’s job security tremendously.
At the end of this day, however, the Raiders keep losing. Will they win another game this season? They’ll have a long week to gameplan for a trip to Tampa Bay on Dec. 8 to face the Buccaneers.
