The Kansas City Chiefs clinched a playoff berth for the 10th-straight season with a dramatic 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders after their AFC West rivals fumbled the ball with 15 seconds left when in position for a game-winning field goal.
The lowly two-win Raiders came back from a 13-point deficit late in the third quarter to briefly lead the reigning Super Bowl champions in the fourth. After a fourth Matthew Wright field goal for the game again nudged the Chiefs ahead, Las Vegas looked set to escape with a shock victory when positioned at the Kansas City 32-yard line with 15 seconds left.
The Raiders opted to run one more play in order to give their kicker Daniel Carlson – who had missed with three kicks from over 50 yards – the best chance of nailing the game-winner but, instead, a fumbled snap was recovered by the Chiefs in a stunning finish.
It means that Kansas City move to 11-1 on the season with the victory, but it was the ninth of those being one-score wins as they continue to let inferior teams hang around only to come up clutch late on.
Stats leaders
Las Vegas Raiders
- Passing: Aidan O’Connell, 23/35, 340 yards, 2 TDs
- Rushing: Sincere McCormick, 12 carries, 64 yards
- Receiving: Brock Bowers, 10 catches, 140 yards, 1 TD
Kansas City Chiefs
- Passing: Patrick Mahomes, 26/46, 306 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing: Isiah Pacheco, 7 carries, 44 yards
- Receiving: DeAndre Hopkins, 4 catches, 90 yards
- Travis Kelce, 7 catches, 68 yards
The Chiefs had only one touchdown to show for their efforts. Patrick Mahomes, who completed 26 of 46 passes for 306 yards, threw his lone scoring strike to Justin Watson in the second quarter, it coming off the back of an eye-catching trick play which saw Travis Kelce toss a no-look lateral to Samaje Perine, prompting celebrations from Taylor Swift in the stands.
Down 16-3 in the second half, back came the Raiders with two touchdowns in the space of two minutes either side of the end of the third quarter. Star rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who earlier in the third quarter pulled off an incredible one-handed catch, hauled in a 33-yard TD from Aiden O’Connell.
Then, swiftly on the back of a Chiefs three-and-out on offense, the Las Vegas QB unleased an even more impressive deep ball for a 52-yard touchdown to Tre Tucker to see the visitors nudge ahead.
O’Connell went 23 of 35 for 340 yards and those two TDs, but his efforts ultimately proved in vain as the Raiders drop to 2-10 with yet another defeat.
Scoring summary
What’s next?
The Chiefs face another AFC West rival in the Justin Herbert-led Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, while the Raiders are on the road against as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Watch the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Cincinnati Bengals from 6pm live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles against the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills versus the San Francisco 49ers
