After taking a dominant lead in the first half, the Kansas City Chiefs slowed down in the second. Still, despite frigid temperatures and the Raiders’ best efforts, the Chiefs were able to hold on for a 21-13 win.
Raiders vs. Chiefs 2016 final score: Kansas City takes AFC West lead with win over Oakland
It was an important win for the Chiefs that helped shape the AFC postseason picture.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Early in the game, Alex Smith looked unstoppable. He was hitting deep passes and sustaining drives with big plays, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill in the first quarter.
It wasn’t Hill’s only explosive play of the evening. He added a 78-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter, and the Chiefs took a 21-10 lead into the half.
The Raiders started the second half strong, though, forcing two turnovers in the first two minutes of play in the third quarter. Cornerback T.J. Carrie picked off Smith, and Khalil Mack sacked Smith on the next series, forcing a fumble.
Still, neither team could get much going. The Raiders added one field goal in the third quarter, and the Chiefs didn’t score at all after the second quarter.
Oakland was missing left guard Kelechi Osemele because of illness, and it showed. Derek Carr has rarely been pressured this season, but he was under siege by the Raiders, though Oakland landed only one sack.
Carr completed just 17 of 41 passes for 117 yards in the game. It was a historically bad performance for Carr, who joins only Jesse Palmer as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to gain fewer than 120 passing yards on more than 40 attempts. Palmer has Carr beat, but only slightly, after going 18 of 43 for 110 yards, two touchdowns and four picks for the Giants back in in 2003.
Kansas City also suffered a difficult loss, as linebacker Derrick Johnson left the game with a left Achilles injury. Oakland’s lone touchdown came on the series after Johnson left the field.
One factor that works against the Raiders is their propensity toward penalties. On Thursday, the Raiders surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for penalties this season after adding 82 yards on 10 flags against the Chiefs. Oakland has been penalized 122 times for 1,014 yards this season.
The Raiders had a +3 turnover advantage in the game, but they still couldn’t capitalize. They also held a slight advantage in time of possession with 31:45. They fall to 10-3.
The win gives Kansas City, also 10-3, the top spot in a tight AFC West race, thanks to a head-to-head win percentage tiebreaker.
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