The Raiders started red hot against the Chiefs but slowly lost control of the game, eventually succumbing to their AFC West rival in a 31-17 loss at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
Las Vegas outgained Kansas City 144 yards to 11 in the first quarter and had a 14-0 lead after a 63-yard gallop by running back Josh Jacobs early in the second. The Chiefs responded with 21 unanswered points to take the lead in the third quarter and never looked back.
Here are the winners and losers for the week as the Raiders fall to 5-7.
Winner: RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs ran for a 7-yard gain on the Raiders’ first snap from scrimmage, which set the tone for Las Vegas’ hot start. His 63-yard run (with great blocks from tight end Michael Mayer and offensive tackle Kolton Miller) surely had many Raiders fans believing a win against the first-place Chiefs was in the cards.
Wide zone. Great combo by Miller and Mayer at the POA on the edge to secondary support and Jacobs does the rest. pic.twitter.com/XTmIoQGiOb
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) November 26, 2023
Jacobs’ performance epitomized the entire team’s day, however. After 94 rushing yards in the first half, he slowed considerably and ended the day with 110 on 20 carries.
Winner: WR Jakobi Meyers
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers got the scoring started for the Raiders with an 18-yard touchdown on Las Vegas’ first drive of the game. Meyers also converted multiple third-down opportunities, including an exceptional grab on a 3rd-and-4 play in the third quarter. The catch led to a Raiders field goal and tightened the score to 21-17.
UNREAL THROW, UNREAL CATCH!! @Raiders
📺: #KCvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/1dOevJjoZZ pic.twitter.com/X8DKqrkjGN— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2023
On the day, Meyers had 79 yards on six receptions, leading the Raiders in both categories.
Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell bounced back from a rough ending to the Raiders’ loss to the Dolphins last week, when he threw two interceptions late in the game and three picks overall.
He threw for 248 yards on 23-for-33 passing, good for a QB rating of 101.6. Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce turned to a rookie to lead the way on offense, and it appears that he made the right call. Though O’Connell has to do a better job of getting superstar WR Davante Adams the ball, even when he’s double-covered. Adams started hot along with his teammates but had very little impact as the game wore on.
Winner: DE Maxx Crosby
Defensive end Maxx Crosby didn’t practice all week due to injury and illness, but he still notched a QB sack, bringing him to 10.5 on the season.
CLUTCH STOP 🦅#KCvsLV | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/4nNvQ7V5nC
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 26, 2023
Crosby (and DE Malcolm Koonce, who initiated the pressure) broke through when the Raiders needed a play to regain momentum in the third quarter. Las Vegas notched a field goal on the ensuing possession to pull with four points of Kansas City.
Loser: CB Marcus Peters
Cornerback Marcus Peters was slated for an appearance on the loser list after he missed an open-field tackle near the goal line while the Raiders still held a 14-0 advantage. He became a shoo-in after he was benched in favor of CB Jack Jones.
Peters still has a beanie on with the #Raiders defense set to take the field to start the third quarter. Looks like Jack Jones will start in his place. https://t.co/SwY15Qeqd5
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) November 26, 2023
Peters has drawn the ire of many Raiders observers and fans this season for his lackadaisical tackling, even as the Las Vegas defense has played better as a whole. Peters’ latest whiff was too much for the coaching staff to take, apparently, especially with the recently acquired Jones on deck.
Loser: DE Tyree Wilson
With Crosby missing practice all week, this game presented a great opportunity for rookie DE Tyree Wilson to step up. Not only did he presumably get extra reps in practice, but Crosby’s playing time was limited against the Chiefs.
Wilson underwhelmed. He recorded just one tackle and lost some playing time to seldom-used DE Malik Reed.
Loser: CB Nate Hobbs
Cornerback Nate Hobbs had his share of good moments against the Chiefs, posting eight tackles (seven solo) and a tackle for loss. But one bad, unsightly play lands him on the loser list.
He misjudged a route by Chiefs WR Rashee Rice at the start of the fourth quarter, just after the Raiders tightened the score to 21-17. Rice ran 39 yards to paydirt as Hobbs followed him from a distance, which is just a terrible look for any secondary defender.
RICE. COLD. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ql2TymtoNP
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 26, 2023
Loser: Coach Antonio Pierce
Raiders fell to 2-2 under interim coach Pierce after the team’s second straight defeat. Each loss was against first-place teams, but following some questionable decisions against the Dolphins last week (his conservative approach to end the first half), Pierce again had a notable head-scratcher.
As the Raiders burst out the gates for their fast start, Pierce opted to try a first-quarter field goal rather than go for a 4th-and-1 attempt. Las Vegas was already up 7-0 and the offense was gaining chunks of yardage seemingly at will. Making matters worse, kicker Daniel Carlson uncharacteristically missed the short 30-yard kick.
Pierce’s decision rose to the forefront later in the game when the Raiders were compelled to go for a 4th-and-1 try from their own 19-yard line late in the game, trailing 28-17. The fourth-down try early in the game was from a position of strength and favored the Raiders, as opposed to the fourth-down try late, which was an act of desperation.
Ideally for Las Vegas, Pierce is starting to gain a firmer grasp of when to go for it and when to kick, especially against a high-powered opponent. Otherwise, Pierce appears to have potential as a head coach. His team played hard against a tough team, as they have every week on his watch. But he takes the personal “L” this week, along with the Raiders team loss.
After the last two games against tough opponents, the Raiders schedule eases up a bit, but not by a lot. Can Pierce finish his tenure as interim coach on a positive note, much as tenure began? We’ll know more soon, as the team’s next test is against the Vikings at Allegiant Stadium in Week 14.
