Fireworks went off at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night, literally and figuratively. The Chiefs and Raiders met for the first time in the 2022 season for nearly 750 total yards, back and forth as Patrick Mahomes rotated it to Travis Kelsey and Derek Carr fed Davante Adams. Despite a hot start from Las Vegas, which scored 17 unanswered points to open the game, Kansas City took the lead. Kelsey paved the way with “Monday Night Football” – he scored four catches, to take a 30-29 win to keep the Chiefs atop West Asia at 4-1, while dropping Josh McDaniels’ side to 1-4 on the year.
Carr gave his all to mount a late comeback after the Raiders lost the lead, hitting Adams on a deep TD to pull off by one point in the fourth quarter. But McDaniels chose to play for two rather than tie at 30, and Chiefs’ defense held firm, stuffing Josh Jacobs on the goal line. Meanwhile, Mahomes was money when targeting Kelce, who also set a TD record for tight moments.
Why did the presidents win?
It was a story of two halves on Monday night. The Raiders dominated the first half, but even if they were down by 17 points, you could never count the Chiefs. Kansas City’s ability to persevere even when they lose is one of their biggest strengths.
Bosses excel when they fall behind, take the pressure and take advantage of it rather than collapse under it. Kansas City stayed alert while the raiders got desperate and made questionable decisions, but more on that in the next category.
The efficiency of Kansas City in third place in the second quarter was one of the most important factors that made a difference from the first, as the third players were increasing.
Another reason for the bosses to win is the trusted master in the attack, Travis Kelsey Court End, who had Four (yes, four) landing at night. You can’t leave Kelce in the end zone four times if you want to give yourself a good chance of winning.
Why did the raiders lose?
Raiders allow Boss Attack to do what Boss Attack does best: exploit opposing defenses. They caught them in the first half, but playing Kansas City takes 60 minutes. The second-half raiders’ aggression on the defense slowed and they had no response to midfielder Patrick Mahomes and co.
Everyone knows Kelce is the man for the Chiefs, yet the Raiders let him score four times.
Raiders also beat themselves on numerous occasions.
What would have been a missed field goal by the Chiefs turned into landing Kelsey due to a costly detention sentence on Raiders while attempting a field goal. The invaders stopped the bosses in the red, which is very difficult for the teams to do, but they erased it with their own fault.
With less than five minutes remaining in the fourth minute, the Raiders decided they were “going to play to win the match,” as Herm Edwards famously put it, rather than tie the match at the end of the match. Down 30-29, they went for two rather than taking the (largely) guaranteed points off the extra point. The two-point attempt failed, so they stayed behind.
Their defense escalated, but the attack was unable to reach the goal position, turning it over after a touchdown, with the victory formation from Chiefs on the left to end the match. Had the Conquistadors taken the extra point instead of playing on two points, the game would have been capped because the clock is up and you go into overtime.
In general, the raiders did not have the stamina to keep up with the bosses. Combined with the wounds they inflicted on themselves, it seemed like they were on the verge of losing the match.
turning point
Which Kelce touchdown should we choose? The first one of No. 87, in the second quarter, made a statement to the Raiders, and the Horde, by never counting the chiefs and never feeling comfortable with progress.
The second Kelce TD, a four-yard reception in the third quarter, was really when the game started to turn, and anyone watching Chief’s football could have expected that KC would end up turning this game around and winning. The landing gave the Chiefs their first lead in the game and momentum. Once they get that rhythm into the attack, the bosses usually get it done and end up winning the game, which is exactly what happened here.
play the game
Not only was Kelce’s fourth landing electric, it was a record-setter. Kelce is now the leader of “Monday Night Football” for the most touchdowns by a player in the game. After landing, the already roaring crowd exploded and Mahomes raised four fingers to celebrate. All four of Kelce’s touchdowns were less than 10 yards, the first time this had happened in NFL history, Per CBS Sports Research Team.
Quote(s) from Night:
After a four-point performance, Kelsey took the time to wish his mother a happy birthday during a post-match interview.
“Happy birthday mom, my mom’s birthday is today. Happy birthday mom! All those landings were for you.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke up Kelsey’s post-match interview with an important message about his teammate. “I love this little man here my dear, that’s my face,” Mahomes said, hugging Kelsey, with a smile on his face.
What’s Next
The Kansas City Chiefs will face their toughest opponent yet next week when they host the Buffalo Bills. Midfielder Josh Allen plays at the elite level and continues to be the favorite for the League’s Most Valuable Player award. The Bills come out with a dominant 38-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers as Allen had a total of 424 yards with four touchdowns, and didn’t play the entire game.
The Raiders will have a rest after this Monday night game, but after farewell week they will face the Houston Texans on October 23. Heading into week six, the Texans (1-3-1) were one of the worst teams in the league.
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