Tag: raiders vs. chiefs

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce rivalry with Chiefs HC Andy Reid goes way back

This year Chiefs week rekindles another old rivalry.

We often talk about rivalries between teams. For instance, the Raiders vs Chiefs. Or between players such as Maxx Crosby vs Patrick Mahomes. The latter may not happen because of the injury status of Crosby. But there’s a third meeting of old rivalries that will take place Sunday in Vegas — Antonio Pierce vs Andy Reid.

Pierce took over as the Raiders interim head coach three weeks ago and he has the Raiders playing the most inspired football in a while. His fourth game as the man in charge on the Raiders’ sideline, he will see a very familiar face on the opposite sideline.

Reid is in his 25th year as a head coach in the NFL. The first 14 of those years he was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Nine of those seasons, his Eagles faced off against a defense led by Antonio Pierce twice a season. Two of them, they faced off three times. And only one of those nine seasons the Eagles had a losing record.

As for Pierce, he spent his entire nine year career in the NFC East — the first four in Washington and the final five with the Giants in New York.

It wasn’t until his final season in Washington that Pierce became a full time starter and that, of course continued when he joined the Giants, where he would make a Pro Bowl and lead a standout defense to the playoffs four straight years.

Reid remembers facing Pierce, especially during his best years in New York.

“He’s a good communicator, smart, he was a middle linebacker there at the Giants, had a chance to compete against him quite a bit and he ran the show,” Reid said of Pierce. “I figured he’d be probably a good coach if that was the direction he wanted to go.”

Pierce took a somewhat unconventional route to getting his first job, jumping straight from linebackers coach the head coach to replaced the fired Josh McDaniels. But from day one and every say since the moment has not seemed too big for him. But now he is about the face one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NFL. One he knows all too well.

“I think I played Andy Reid over 22-23 times in my career, playoffs included,” said Pierce.

The number was actually 21 times he faced Reid’s Eagles in the regular and postseason combined. And Pierce’s teams went 7-14 in those games.

But success in the NFL is not measured by wins and losses alone. It’s measured by trophies. And while Reid doubled up Pierce in that column — including beating Pierce all three meetings in the playoffs — it was Pierce who would hoist the Lombardi during that time, not Reid.

The stars aligned in 2007 with the Giants sweeping Reid’s Eagles on the way to the playoffs, then going all the way to win it all. Pierce also was named to the Pro Bowl that season. Reid made the Super Bowl once in Philadelphia and lost. He has, of course, won two in recent years as head coach of the Chiefs.

Raiders, Chiefs final injury report: DE Maxx Crosby Doubtful with knee injury

DE Maxx Crosby Doubtful with knee injury

The worst news the Raiders could get for any game is being without Maxx Crosby. And that’s just what they could be facing in a week when they will be hosting the rival Chiefs on Sunday.

Crosby missed practice all week with a knee injury and is officially Doubtful for the game.

Should Crosby indeed miss the game, the Raiders would be without their best player and Defensive Player of the Year candidate against their toughest opponent and division rivals.

It would also be the first game Crosby has missed in his career.

Let me say that again. Crosby has never missed a game in five seasons. So, this would be the first game of his career that he missed.

Not only that, but Crosby has played 98% of the Raiders snaps this season. That’s just 13 snaps missed all season. That leads the NFL among defensive linemen. So, yeah, his absence would be a big deal.

Raiders winners and losers in 31-13 defeat vs. Chiefs

Raiders winners and losers in 31-13 defeat vs. Chiefs

The Raiders’ season didn’t go as planned this year, but the team had a chance to finish strong on Saturday on national television against the Chiefs.

Of course, that didn’t happen. Instead of playing spoiler against Kansas City and building momentum for next season, Las Vegas had one of its worst games of the campaign and lost, 31-13 at Allegiant Stadium.

Here are the winners and losers for the week, in a game that was a fitting end to a disappointing season for first-year coach Josh McDaniels and the Raiders.

Winner: WR Hunter Renfrow

The return of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow continues. After he tore through the NFL last season, he’d been ineffective or injured nearly all year long. In this game, he caught a touchdown in garbage time and also delivered one of his patented, eye-popping moves on “3rd-and-Renfrow” early in the second half.

Winner: K Daniel Carlson and P A.J. Cole

This game was arguably the Raiders’ worst performance of the 2022 season. The Chiefs toyed with McDaniels’ roster for nearly 60 minutes. But kicker Daniel Carlson and punter A.J. Cole were solid, as always.

Carlson hit a 54-yard field goal, and Cole drilled a 63-yard punt late in the third quarter. That was actually Cole’s first punt of the game, which illustrates how many things went wrong for Raiders offense.

Plus, these two can’t continue to be standouts, no matter how good they are. It’s far too reminiscent of the days when former Raiders special teamers, P Shane Lechler and K Sebastian Janikowski, were among the best players on a series of dreadful squads.

Loser: CB Amik Robertson

The Raiders defense was awful all game long, and the Chiefs’ party started on their second snap from scrimmage. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit WR Justin Watson for a 67-yard completion at the expense of Raiders CB Amik Robertson.

Watson was wide open and the Chiefs scored a touchdown four plays later, in a drive that also featured a penalty on Las Vegas for having too many players on the field on 3rd and goal.

Loser: Red Zone defense

The Raiders defense didn’t do anything well, but their effort in the red zone was especially porous and furthermore, a representation of a year-long issue. The Chiefs scored four touchdowns on their first four red-zone chances and at one point, that part of the field turned into a literal playground for the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s huddle twirled around in a circle before trying a trick play that was called back due to a holding penalty. The Chiefs scored one play later and took a 21-3 lead late in the second quarter.

Loser: DE Maxx Crosby

Defensive end Maxx Crosby had a QB sack in this game to reach 12.5 takedowns this season, but the Chiefs’ twirling huddle routine was the result of a crucial penalty on Crosby.

The Raiders, down just 14-3 at the time, had stopped the Chiefs on a 3rd-down play at the Kansas City 8-yard line. But Crosby hit Mahomes late, extending the Chiefs’ drive. Eventually, they finished their 98-yard march for a 21-3 lead.

Loser: QB Jarrett Stidham

After torching the 49ers defense last week for more than 10 yards per pass play, QB Jarrett Stidham came crashing back down to Earth on Saturday. He had just 219 yards on 22-for-36 passing with one touchdown, one interception, and two fumbles, one of which was lost. His interception resulted in a Chiefs touchdown.

Stidham did have 50 rushing yards on seven carries but unfortunately for the Raiders, that led the team in rushing, as running back Josh Jacobs had just 45 yards on 17 attempts. Plus, Stidham had to run because the offensive line had perhaps its worst day as pass blockers this season, which is saying a lot.

Loser: G Alex Bars/Offensive line

Stidham was sacked six times, though one sack was the result of a broken play. But Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones looked unblockable, many times at the expense of Raiders guard Alex Bars.

The line’s ineptitude was probably best displayed late in the first half. The Raiders took the ball and tried to score points before the break, but a sack by the Chiefs, followed by a penalty for illegal use of hands called on G Dylan Parham (with an assist from offensive tackle Kolton Miller) pushed Las Vegas back after it had reached the Kansas City 45-yard line.

Then, Stidham fumbled on another Chiefs sack, setting up a Kansas City field goal and a 24-3 halftime lead for the road team.

Loser: Red Zone offense

The Raiders offense had two failures in the red zone that cost the team dearly, both on long drives. First, they squandered a goal-to-go opportunity at the 7-yard line. Two Jacobs runs were followed by two missed passes, first to tight end Darren Waller and then to WR Davante Adams.

In the second half, the Raiders took the ball first, marched to the Chiefs’ 19-yard line, and eventually settled for a 38-yard field goal from Carlson. Together, the drives took nearly 17 minutes off the clock and resulted in just three points.

Loser: WR Davante Adams

Adams broke the 1,500-yard mark in this game and caught his 100th pass of the season, but he had a couple of costly, uncharacteristic drops in the first half.

Plus, looking at the big picture, he has to be wondering whether the Raiders can satisfy his expectations when he signed with the team. Las Vegas has a lot of work to do to make this team a contender and must acquire a QB who can get Adams the ball consistently.

The Raiders may have been his childhood team, but Adams is an adult now, and a 30-year-old WR at that. He’s said he wants input on who the Raiders’ next quarterback is after dumping Derek Carr, and that speaks volumes.

McDaniels is a loser too, as he finishes with a 6-11 record in his first year as Raiders coach. This team was a victim of unrealistic expectations, but those expectations were set by McDaniels and his new regime.

Now McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler have to add a slew of new players to turn this team around in a hurry. It doesn’t make sense to rebuild when you have a superstar like Adams, and that’s doubly true if Las Vegas signs Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing at the end of this game.

But only time will tell which moves the Raiders make this offseason. As for now, a wasted season in Las Vegas has finally come to a fitting end.

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Raiders winners and losers in 30-29 defeat vs. Chiefs

Raiders winners and losers in 30-29 defeat vs. Chiefs

The Raiders had a chance to turn their season around on national television but came up short against the Chiefs, losing 30-29 at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.

After Las Vegas tried to take the lead at 31 with a two-point conversion and failed, the Raiders defense stopped Kansas City and gave quarterback Derek Carr a chance for a game-winning drive. But on a 4th-and-1 play with seconds remaining, wide receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow ran into each other and fell down as Carr threw in their direction, ending any comeback hopes.

Here are the winners and losers for this week after yet another close loss for the Raiders.

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs

The Raiders jumped out to a 17-0 lead thanks in large part to a dedication to the run game, led by running back Josh Jacobs. For the second straight week, he set a career-high in rushing yards. This time, he finished with 154 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He added five catches for 39 yards.

When the Chiefs offense started to get on a roll, coach Josh McDaniels went away from his strategy a bit. But nearly every time he turned to Jacobs, his running back responded. Though he came up just short of the goal line when Las Vegas tried to take the lead with their 2-point try, Jacobs once again looks like an elite weapon in the backfield.

Winner: Offensive line

The Raiders offensive line has rotated players in and out of the lineup this season, signaling that Las Vegas is searching for answers up front. But judging from the last two weeks, all they needed was some balanced play calling to thrive.

They paved the way for Jacobs’ big game and gave Carr time to throw on most occasions. The line had its share of penalties, as did the entire team, but they were a reason the Raiders had a chance to win, providing the offense an opportunity to thrive as planned over the offseason.

Winner: DE Maxx Crosby

Once again, defensive end Maxx Crosby looked like a madman on the field, living up to his “Mad Maxx” nickname. He had two more sacks and added three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.

But also once again, Crosby needed more help from his teammates on the edge. Defensive end Chandler Jones had a solid start, but once Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes found his groove, the Raiders’ front was off-balance and Kansas City started gaining yards in chunks.

Winner: K Daniel Carlson

Kicker Daniel Carlson hit all three of his field goal attempts, running his streak of consecutive field goal makes to 38 in a row. If the Raiders could have gotten in field goal range on the game’s last drive, it’s a near certainty Carlson would have nailed it and Las Vegas would have gone home with a win.

Loser: Raiders coaches

McDaniels decision to try a 2-point conversion late in the game wasn’t a terrible call. But the NFL is a results-based business. And the results didn’t work out for Las Vegas. A shotgun run, which is what McDaniels dialed up, is also a questionable, predictable play call.

And on defense, coordinator Patrick Graham had a tough task in stopping Mahomes and the Chiefs. But spotted a 17-0 lead, the defense struggled to rush the passer and cover receivers, especially tight end Travis Kelce, who had four touchdown grabs.

Loser: S Roderic Teamer/DE Malcolm Koonce

The Raiders had 11 penalties for 99 yards, and two penalties stick out more than the others.

Las Vegas still had momentum in the second quarter, having just scored a field goal, leaving the Chiefs only 17 seconds to operate before halftime. A facemask penalty from safety Roderic Teamer put Kansas City in position to make a 59-yard field goal, giving them momentum going into halftime; they now trailed just 20-10 and would get the ball to start the second half.

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders had pulled to within a point of Kansas City and forced them to try a field goal. The Chiefs missed it, but DE Malcolm Koonce committed a rare holding penalty. Soon thereafter, Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone for six more points.

Loser: QB Derek Carr/WR Davante Adams

Carr and Adams did nearly all they could to will the Raiders to a win and send a message to the NFL, but they still came up short.

They started the game’s scoring with a bang, connecting on a 58-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 play. Later, Carr made a brilliant throw to Adams, giving the Raiders their chance to go ahead on their failed 2-point try.

But the game’s final result had Adams slamming his helmet to the ground and even pushing a cameraman on his way to the locker room. Despite Adams’ big statistical day (three catches, 124 yards, two touchdowns), he definitely took a loss on this Monday night, as did Carr.

What could have been an immense triumph for the Raiders turned into a disaster. It was all too fitting for how the season has gone thus far. Can Las Vegas turn it around? They have too much talent to not get rolling, but only if they don’t let frustrations from the young season get to them. The Raiders’ next chance to get on track is on Oct. 23 against the Texans after resting up on their bye week.

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Raiders winners and losers in blowout defeat vs. Kansas City

Raiders winners and losers in blowout defeat vs. Kansas City

The Raiders entered their Week 14 game against the Chiefs in desperate need of a win. But it didn’t take long before Las Vegas appeared desperate to get the heck out of Arrowhead Stadium to avoid further punishment.

The visiting team turned the ball over on the game’s first snap from scrimmage, with the play resulting in a Chiefs touchdown, and the rout was on from the start, ending in a 48-9 loss for the Raiders.

Here are this week’s winners and losers after an unforgettable shellacking at the hands of the division rival Chiefs, which put Las Vegas’ record at 6-7.

Winners

Malcolm Koonce

Yes, there were actually a couple of winners in this game, though each one comes with a dash of losing flavor.

Raiders rookie defensive end Malcolm Koonce notched a quarterback sack in the second half of this blowout, his second such play in two weeks.

Here’s the losers aspect: On a team with ample QB pressures but too few QB sacks as the season was falling apart, why wasn’t Koonce playing more in previous weeks? He’s had two in the only two games he’s appeared in as a pro.

At least Koonce is a promising prospect for whoever is in charge of the Raiders’ personnel in the years to come.

Clelin Ferrell

Defensive end Clelin Ferrell also recorded a QB sack, his first in more than a calendar year. He actually has a signature sack celebration, a simulated fishing move to make it look like he’s reeling in a fish, and he finally got to use it again.

Still, even on his big play, look how slow his feet are. It’s actually kind of incredible. As the former No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, Ferrell is a decent player but represents all that’s gone wrong as the team tried to build a winner on the way to Las Vegas.

Alright, I was going to show a clip of the play, but it appears the Raiders’ official Twitter account deleted it. Incredible. That says it all about how poorly this game went for Las Vegas.

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Raiders winners and losers in 41-14 defeat vs. Chiefs

Raiders winners and losers in 41-14 defeat vs. Chiefs

The Raiders had a chance to take first place in the AFC West on Sunday night against the Chiefs, but instead, Kansas City took control and looked like their old selves, beating Las Vegas in blowout fashion, 41-14.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was decisive with the football, avoiding the Raiders pass rush to throw for 406 yards and five touchdowns, while Raiders QB Derek Carr couldn’t keep his offense in a rhythm.

Now, Kansas City is in first place in the AFC West after a slow start to their season. The Raiders, on the other hand, were humbled in this nationally televised drubbing.

But some Raiders performed better than others. Here are this week’s winners in losers for the 5-4 Raiders.

Winners

A.J. Cole

There weren’t many bright moments for the Raiders in this one, clearly. But one early good turn of fortune for Las Vegas came from a most unexpected place.

Punter A.J. Cole forced a fumble after one of his kicks (which came after a 3-and-out from the Raiders), handing Las Vegas ball near midfield, down 7-0 late in the first quarter.

Cole earned some league-wide respect with that hit. The Raiders capitalized on the field position and tied the score, on one of their paltry two touchdowns on the night.

Hunter Renfrow

Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow scored the Raiders’ only touchdown a week ago on a pass from Carr, and he hauled in another Carr throw for six points against the Chiefs. It was a red-zone conversion, just like last week. His catch put the score at 7-7, giving the Raider equal footing after a rough start.

But after that short scoring drive, Las Vegas didn’t have a drive of more than five plays until their last effort in garbage time. Meanwhile, the Chiefs moved the ball methodically down the field all evening long.

Bryan Edwards

After a dud of a game last week, WR Bryan Edwards had a bounce-back performance. He caught Carr’s other touchdown pass on the Raiders’ first drive of the second half, good for 37-yards. (That was the only drive after Renfrow’s score that had five or more plays, finishing at five plays for 75 yards in just 2:52.)

Edwards had just three catches on the evening but they were good for 88 yards and the score. But in a game that saw Carr lead the team in rushing with 18 yards, the Raiders offense just didn’t have it Sunday night.

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Raiders coach Jon Gruden takes team-first approach with struggling defense

The Raiders defense allowed a late game-winning score to the Chiefs, but coach Jon Gruden isn’t pointing fingers.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden wasn’t in the mood to point fingers on Monday, a day after Las Vegas lost a nail-biter to the Chiefs, 35-31. Well, not at individual players, anyway.

His team pulled ahead of the world champion Chiefs with just 1:43 remaining in the game, thanks to a touchdown pass from quarterback Derek Carr to tight end Jason Witten. The Raiders defense failed to make a play when it mattered most, however, and QB Patrick Mahomes found tight end Travis Kelce wide open in the end zone with 28 seconds on the clock, sealing Las Vegas’ fate.

Second-year safety Johnathan Abram made a glaring mistake on Kelce’s TD grab, failing to drop back into coverage when he saw Mahomes creep toward the line of scrimmage. Gruden took a team-first approach to the failure on defense, however, rather than blame Abram for the loss.

“I’m not going to single out any player at any press conference,” he told reporters on Monday when asked about Abram, one of the Raiders’ most talented players. “We lost that game yesterday because we didn’t get it done. We all got to focus better. We all got to play better and certainly, we all have to coach better.”

Gruden didn’t criticize Abram and spread the blame, and he also declined to praise any of his defenders when given the chance. Asked if any players stood out on film despite the high-scoring performance from the Chiefs, Gruden simply repeated his team-first approach, while acknowledging some adverse conditions. 

“We didn’t play well enough on defense. And we can make a lot of excuses and legitimate excuses for that. We’re missing some key players. We have a young secondary,” Gruden said. “We had guys that didn’t practice. We played the world champions coming off a bye week. But we, I say we, me included, we gave up 36 first downs and we didn’t get it done. We’ve got to play a lot better. Because Atlanta, the team we’re about to play, is capable of doing the same thing.”

It’s true that the defense had a challenging week, with much of the group, including Abram, on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and unable to practice. That’s rough when you have to prepare for a potent offense like Kansas City’s. The pandemic has been a challenge for every team this season, however.

But while Gruden isn’t pointing fingers at his players while talking to the media, he must be sore at coming so close to beating the Chiefs for the second time this season. Instead, he watched his defense, under the direction of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, make Kansas City’s game-sealing drive look exceedingly easy.

With Gruden’s disappointment and newfound responsibility, even for the 36 first downs amassed by the Chiefs, he’ll likely pay more attention to the defensive side of the ball moving forward, especially with Carr’s command of his offense. And it’s a safe bet Gruden was more precise in criticizing his players behind closed doors after the Chiefs game, as he attempts to steer Las Vegas to the playoffs.

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Raiders RB Josh Jacobs says it will take ‘everything we’ve got’ to beat the Chiefs for the second time

After basking in the glow of a big win against the Broncos, Raiders RB Josh Jacobs says it will take a mighty effort to beat the Chiefs.

The Raiders won a big division game against the Broncos on Sunday, moving their record to 6-3 and bolstering their playoff position. They apparently did a fine job of not looking past Denver and its losing ways, since the division-leading Chiefs are next up, in prime time no less.

Las Vegas is the only team to have beaten the defending Super Bowl champions this year, and the Raiders won’t sneak up on them this time. The word is out that coach Jon Gruden’s club is on the rise, and Kansas City will attempt to knock them down a peg or two, or more.

According to running back Josh Jacobs, it will take a team effort from the Raiders — one perhaps unseen since Gruden returned to the club in 2018 — to beat Kansas City. He told Melanie Collins of CBS it will take “everything we’ve got” to hand the Chiefs their second defeat of the campaign.

With the Raiders winning in a variety of ways lately, it’s anyone’s guess what gameplan they’ll execute on Sunday night against the Chiefs. But with Kansas City’s talent, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they’ll be tough to beat.

Jacobs and the Raiders have given no reason to believe they won’t be up to the challenge, however, and the running back’s short answer, when asked about the big matchup, says it all: it’s already time to prepare for a mighty test against the NFL champions.

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Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III shows why Jon Gruden brought him to Vegas

Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs has exactly what coach Jon Gruden needs on offense, and that’s speed and skill.

The Raiders’ rebuild had its best moment in Sunday’s win against the Chiefs, and the return of Henry Ruggs III was an unmistakable factor in Las Vegas’ big victory.

After missing two games, Ruggs III made an impact early on, with a superb grab off a defender’s helmet for 46 yards, leading to a Raiders field goal. Later, he hauled in a 72-yard touchdown from quarterback Derek Carr, giving the Raiders a 24-21 lead.

Those were his only two catches, but his mere presence made a difference, as the rookie has speed to burn. The Raiders are now 3-0 when Ruggs III starts, and the impact he made in Las Vegas’ big win against the Chiefs is exactly why coach Jon Gruden drafted him in the first round.

“Well, yeah, I mean we didn’t bring him in here to run hitch routes,” Gruden told reporters after the game. “He can really run and we’ve got to be better at getting him the ball in other areas because he’s a great route runner.”

Ruggs has certainly shown more skills than expected from a typical speed-first wide receiver. He’s impressed Gruden with his route running and proven strong when catching the football, showing phenomenal body control and concentration.

It all makes his speed that much more potent. Ruggs knows that despite having just two catches, he affected the Chiefs’ defense just as Gruden had planned.

“I know I have a role in the offense. I came in because the organization saw something in me and they saw something that I could use my talents and help the offense and help the team out so that’s what I’m doing,” Ruggs told reporters after the game. “Me being a speed guy, that’s one thing that people are looking for and defenses have to account for … I think that’s a big factor in the game plan and one thing that you have to be always aware of.”

Ruggs’ performance thus far is impossible to ignore. Las Vegas can only hope he can stay healthy for the rest of the campaign. It’s not every year that a team can draft a player in the first round and have him perform exactly as expected, but so far in 2020, the Raiders’ rookie has accomplished that.

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Raiders’ drive of the game: 4th down failure in another blowout loss, this time against the Chiefs

The Raiders scored just one touchdown in their last two games, and no, this week’s drive does not involve that minor triumph.

For the second consecutive week, the Raiders’ drive of the game involves a 4th-and-short play gone awry. This week, however, the score was much closer at the moment of failure.

After an incredible six penalties and two turnovers by the Raiders in the first quarter, they were trailing just 7-0. Impressively, their defense forced a turnover on downs in the first period, and a Chiefs punt late in the second, setting up this week’s dismal drive.

Starting at his own 27-yard line, quarterback Derek Carr immediately found tight end Darren Waller for a beautiful 24-yard completion to the left sideline. A high back-shoulder throw, Waller reached over the defender expertly and hauled it in.

A toss play for no gain to running back Josh Jacobs and a 1-yard scramble by Carr preceded an 8-yard completion to wide receiver, Zay Jones. Facing a 4th-and-1 at Kansas City’s 40-yard line, coach Jon Gruden didn’t hesitate to go for it.

Jacobs was having an excellent game to that point and finished with more than 100 rushing yards and an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. He ran onto the field for the crucial play but then trotted to the sideline after being called back. Raiders fullback, Alec Ingold, Oakland’s short-yardage specialist, was the only back behind Carr.

It appeared Ingold would get the call. But instead, Carr signaled wide receiver Trevor Davis in motion and handed him the ball on a jet sweep. With plenty of green grass available upfield, Davis continued on his wide path and ran into the back of blocking teammate, TE Foster Moreau, for no gain and a turnover on downs.

Just like last week’s 4th down failure, Jacobs wasn’t a factor. At least he was on the field in that case, though he was offset to the right and not behind

Carr. Still, this week’s debacle is difficult to criticize because Davis had room for the first down. He simply didn’t convert.

But it would be wise for Oakland to put the ball in the hands of one of their best players, such as Jacobs or Ingold, in that situation the next time around. At the very least, Jacobs should be in the game to threaten the defense.

Regardless, the Chiefs scored a touchdown on their next drive, and with help from more mistakes by the Raiders, the rout was on, resulting in a disappointing 40-9 loss with first place in the AFC West on the line.

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