Tag: Raiders winners and losers vs Chiefs

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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