Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders
Final Score: Chiefs 30, Raiders 27
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
This was one of those classic AFC divisional matchups between two undefeated teams in the Chiefs and Raiders. The game went back and forth, with both teams needing nearly everything to go right to come away with the win. Ultimately, the difference came down to the turnover battle, as the Raiders committed 2 costly turnovers. Kansas City dominated on the ground behind Kenneth Walker, while Las Vegas relied heavily on its passing attack, with Kirk Cousins and leaning on his tight ends throughout the game. In the end, the Chiefs did just enough to come out on top and win a classic divisional battle.
Three Up
- Kenneth Walker – The Chiefs once again relied heavily on their ground game, and Kenneth Walker delivered in a big way. He dominated the Raiders for over 150 rushing yards and scored 2 touchdowns, serving as the driving force behind Kansas City’s offense.
- Kirk Cousins – Despite the loss, Kirk Cousins worked his magic and put together a fantastic performance. He kept the Raiders competitive throughout the game, throwing for over 350 yards and matching the Chiefs offense nearly every step of the way.
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Brock Bowers/Michael Mayer – Both tight ends were major parts of the Raiders’ offense and dominated the middle of the field. Bowers and Mayer combined for 21 targets, 14 receptions, 168 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The Raiders clearly leaned on their two-tight-end attack, and both players delivered in a big way.
Three Down
- Rashee Rice – Seeing Rashee Rice join the seemingly never-ending list of injured players on Sunday was tough to watch. Hopefully, it isn’t anything long-term, but losing another key fantasy player to injury is never something you want to see.
- Tre Tucker – The Raiders’ WR1 had a mediocre performance and finished tied for third on the team in targets. Las Vegas leaned heavily on its tight ends in the passing game, leaving Tucker with fewer opportunities despite Kirk Cousins throwing for over 350 yards.
- Emmett Johnson – It was a very quiet game for the young running back, as Kansas City leaned almost entirely on Kenneth Walker. Johnson failed to record a single carry, which is concerning for his role if Walker continues to dominate the backfield workload.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: 15/30, 225 Yards, 2 TD | 2 Carries, 0 Yards
Patrick Mahomes put up solid numbers in the win over the Raiders. Early on, the Chiefs seemed focused on getting Mahomes away from pressure by rolling him outside the pocket and allowing him to make plays on the move. His accuracy was a little shaky to start, including a few overthrows to open receivers, but he eventually settled in. The dominant running game helped create play-action opportunities, allowing Mahomes to connect on some bigger throws downfield. He nearly threw an interception in the second quarter, but avoided the costly mistake. Both of his touchdown passes showed his awareness, with one coming on a short, easy option and another when he recognized a miscommunication in the Raiders’ secondary and took advantage. Kansas City led for most of the game, so Mahomes wasn’t asked to throw much, finishing with only 30 attempts. It also appeared the Chiefs wanted to limit how much Mahomes had to run, instead relying on the ground game and creating explosive plays through play action.
Running Back
Kenneth Walker: 22 Carries, 177 Yards, 2 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Speaking of big performances, Kenneth Walker dominated the Raiders’ run defense, handling all of the Chiefs’ backfield carries and rushing for 177 yards. Walker was stuffed a few times early, especially in short-yardage situations, but Kansas City continued to feed him. Starting in the second quarter, the bigger runs began to come. Early in the third quarter, Walker opened a Chiefs drive with a massive 77-yard run that helped set up a touchdown. He would eventually find the end zone twice himself, first on a short touchdown run and later on an impressive score where he bounced outside and dove into the end zone. Walker got stronger as the game went on and was easily the MVP of the Chiefs offense in their win over the Raiders.
Emmett Johnson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Rookie Emmett Johnson didn’t record a single carry in this game, with his only production coming on a short dump-off that he turned into a 10-yard gain by fighting for extra yards. He also had a catch earlier in the game that was wiped out by a penalty. The Chiefs simply didn’t need to use Johnson much with Kenneth Walker having such a dominant performance. Still, in his limited opportunities, Johnson showed why he remains one of the better backup running backs to have on a fantasy roster right now.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyquan Thornton: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 111 Yards, 2 TDs
It was a great day and a horrible day for Tyquan Thornton. Honestly, he should have been one of those UP players, and he would’ve been if not for his final play of the game. Thornton stepped up after Rice went out to have a big game. He had multiple big downfield plays. He scored two touchdowns against the Raiders, pulling in a quick hitting two-yard score to cap the team’s drive and then got behind the defense for a deep ball touchdown later in the game. With under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Thornton pulled in another ball over his shoulder, but was run down by the defense grabbing him from behind and rolling up on him. He popped up quickly to celebrate the huge gain, and then went down in a heap as he noticed his ankle was no longer attached correctly – the replay was as gruesome as it sounds. Great day but sad ending for Thornton.
Xavier Worthy: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 70 Yards
Xavier Worthy had a solid performance, finishing with 70 receiving yards. Most of his catches came on quick slants to the inside or outside, allowing him to use his speed after the catch. His biggest reception came in the first quarter on a contested catch, showing he can provide more than just speed to the Chiefs offense. Worthy’s day could have been even bigger, as Mahomes overthrew him on his first target of the game after Worthy had already beaten his defender downfield. Overall, Worthy made the most of the catchable opportunities that came his way. More importantly, he could be in line for an increased target share moving forward if the injuries to Kansas City’s other receivers keep them out for an extended period.
Travis Kelce: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
Veteran tight end Travis Kelce had one of those quiet performances against the Raiders. Both of his catches came in the first half, and he never touched the ball again after halftime. The Chiefs leaned heavily on their running game, so they didn’t need to feature Kelce as much as they have in previous weeks. I’d chalk this performance up to the game plan, as Kansas City clearly wanted to establish the run and use play action to create bigger plays downfield. It was a disappointing fantasy day for Kelce, but there shouldn’t be much concern. Better days will be ahead when the Chiefs need to lean more heavily on their passing attack.
Rashee Rice: No Stats
Rashee Rice appeared to suffer an injury around the 7:47 mark of the first quarter. Rice caught a short out route with plenty of open space in front of him, but as he turned upfield, his leg appeared to move awkwardly before he limped toward the sideline. A holding penalty was called on the play, so the catch did not count. There was at least some encouraging news later in the quarter, as the broadcast mentioned around the 2:37 mark that Rice wanted to return to the game. While he was unable to continue, the fact that he initially wanted to return could be a positive sign for his status moving forward.
Noah Gray: 3 Targets, 2 Reception, 15 Yards
Cyrus Allen: 1 Target
Jalen Royals: 2 Targets
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins: 31/52, 365 Yards, 2 TDs, INT
Kirk Cousins looked vintage in this game. Early on, Cousins was rolling out frequently and finding open pass catchers over the middle of the field. He went to that strategy a little too often, allowing the Chiefs defense to catch on and nearly come away with an early interception. Cousins eventually settled into the pocket more and consistently leaned on his tight ends in the short-to-intermediate areas to move the chains. His first touchdown came off one of those rollouts, catching the defense off guard before finding Ian Thomas for the score. His second touchdown was even more impressive, as Cousins escaped pressure and somehow fit the ball between defenders to Brock Bowers to bring Las Vegas within one score. His pass catchers didn’t always help him, either, with several drops throughout the game. Cousins’ lone interception came on the Raiders’ final drive as they desperately tried to push the ball downfield to set up a potential game-tying field goal. Overall, Cousins played well against a tough divisional opponent, and if he continues performing at this level, there’s little reason to believe he won’t remain the Raiders’ starter for the rest of the season.
Running Back
Ashton Jeanty: 15 Carries, 58 Yards | 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 68 Yards
Ashton Jeanty held roughly a 2-to-1 advantage over Mike Washington in backfield carries, although it was a little concerning to see Washington this involved in such a close divisional game. Jeanty was clearly the more effective runner, which should only help solidify his role moving forward. He broke off a few big runs, including a 19-yard gain early in the third quarter while the game was still close. Jeanty was also heavily involved in the passing game, with most of his targets coming on short dump-offs when the Chiefs’ defense closed in on Kirk Cousins. He ran with plenty of physicality and consistently fought for additional yards after the catch. Overall, Jeanty looked like the better back and continued to show why the Raiders should lean on him moving forward.
Mike Washington Jr.: 9 Carries, 18 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, -1 Yards
Mike Washington was used as a change-of-pace back behind Ashton Jeanty in this game but struggled to get much going with his opportunities. Washington saw several runs designed to get him outside, but there wasn’t much room for him to turn the corner and get upfield. He did break off a couple of solid runs around 10 yards, but the majority of his touches resulted in little production or negative yardage. Overall, Washington wasn’t able to provide much of a spark when giving Jeanty a breather.
Connor Heyward: 2 Carries, -4 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Recpetion, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Brock Bowers: 11 Targets, 6 Receptions, 86 Yards, TD
Everyone was concerned about Brock Bowers after he dealt with an illness leading up to Sunday’s game, but Bowers brought out his Michael Jordan vibes and dominated the Chiefs defense. It took him some time to get going, as his first catch didn’t come until the second quarter, but he quickly became Kirk Cousins’ primary intermediate target over the middle. Bowers made multiple contested catches and used his physicality to break free for additional yards after the catch. His biggest play came late in the fourth quarter when Cousins worked his magic and found Bowers between defenders for a touchdown. Despite entering the game on the injury report, Bowers looked fantastic and showed no signs of being limited. As long as he remains healthy, he should continue to be the top target in the Raiders offense.
Michael Mayer: 10 Targets, 8 Receptions, 82 Yards
Just like Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer was a big part of the Raiders’ game plan. Mayer saw targets early, with most of his opportunities coming underneath and in the short areas of the field. He used his size to break away from defenders and pick up additional yards after the catch. Mayer also looked good as a route runner, consistently finding separation and giving Kirk Cousins another reliable option. Most importantly, his involvement lasted throughout the entire game rather than coming only late when the Raiders were playing catch-up. There was some concern that Mayer would fall back into a reserve role once Bowers returned, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The Raiders clearly want to utilize a two-tight-end attack, which could allow both Bowers and Mayer to remain involved moving forward.
Tre Tucker: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 44 Yards
Tre Tucker had an average performance despite Kirk Cousins throwing for over 350 yards. Tucker didn’t record his first catch until the second quarter, and most of his production came on short-area targets. He primarily worked routes toward the outside while the Raiders leaned heavily on their tight ends over the middle of the field. Tucker did have an opportunity for a big downfield catch, but Cousins was hit as he released the ball and couldn’t connect with him. Tucker also had a critical drop late in the fourth quarter as the Raiders were trying to drive downfield and stay in the game. He got lucky on another late fourth-quarter reception that appeared to hit the ground, but the Raiders quickly got to the line and snapped the ball before the play could be reviewed. Considering how productive the Raiders’ passing attack was overall, it was a disappointing fantasy performance for Tucker.
Cody White: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 36 Yards
Ian Thomas: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards, TD
Dareke Young: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards, Fumble (LOST)
Jalen Nailor: No Stats