Mahomes passes for 262 yards and 2 TDs, Chiefs beat Raiders 27-20 to improve to 7-0
LAS VEGAS -- Patrick Mahomes played a nearly flawless game on Sunday, but one error nearly cost the Kansas City Chiefs their victory. Thankfully, the Chiefs' defense stepped up, making a crucial goal-line stand that helped secure a 27-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, keeping Kansas City undefeated.
The pivotal moment came late in the third quarter with the Chiefs clinging to a 17-13 lead. Mahomes praised his defense for holding strong in a tough spot, saying, "It’s easy in that situation to let them score... but they stood their ground." This defensive stop allowed the Chiefs to maintain momentum and ultimately extend their winning streak to 13 games, including playoffs.
With this win, the Chiefs (7-0) maintained their perfect record against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, improving to 6-0 at the venue. Meanwhile, Las Vegas (2-6) dropped its fourth consecutive game, though they managed to score at least 20 points for the first time since their 20-16 victory over Cleveland on Sept. 29.
Mahomes threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 30,000 passing yards, achieving the milestone in his 103rd game. His favorite target, Travis Kelce, recorded season highs with 10 catches for 90 yards and added a touchdown, his 75th, passing Jason Witten for fifth on the NFL's all-time tight end touchdown list. Kelce is now just two touchdowns away from surpassing Tony Gonzalez's franchise record.
Gardner Minshew, who filled in as quarterback for the Raiders, completed 24 of 30 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns but was sacked five times. Jakobi Meyers, returning after missing two games with an ankle injury, caught six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. However, the Raiders’ ground game was virtually non-existent, managing just 33 yards on 1.6 yards per carry against Kansas City’s fourth-ranked run defense.
"For us, being able to stop the run is the primary goal every single week," Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis said. "If we make them one-dimensional, that's where we want to be."
The Raiders struggled to stop the Chiefs on third downs, with Kansas City converting 12 of 16 attempts. This conversion rate tied for the second-highest of the season, as only the Bengals converted at a higher rate against the Eagles.
Las Vegas, however, had its chances. The Raiders trailed by four late in the third quarter when safety Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Mahomes at the Chiefs' 3-yard line. But the Raiders couldn’t capitalize, with three running plays gaining only two yards before Minshew was sacked on fourth down.
“We’re trying to establish some physicality up front,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “Right there at the 3-yard line, you’ve got to pound it in.”
Kansas City then responded with a clock-draining 87-yard drive that spanned 19 plays and took 9:43, culminating in a 24-yard Harrison Butker field goal early in the fourth quarter. A strip-sack of Minshew set up the Chiefs' final touchdown, all but sealing the win before a last-minute Raiders TD added some drama.
D-Hop Debuts for Chiefs
Newly acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made his Chiefs debut, catching two of three targets for 29 yards. Kansas City recently traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans for the former All-Pro to boost a receiving corps impacted by injuries. "He wanted to be in there," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He’ll get more chances in the next game."
Injuries
Chiefs: Safety Nazeeh Johnson left the game with a concussion in the first half, and tight end Jody Fortson suffered a knee injury.
Raiders: Center Andre James exited in the second half due to an ankle injury.
Up Next
Chiefs: Host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, Nov. 4.
Raiders: Travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
The pivotal moment came late in the third quarter with the Chiefs clinging to a 17-13 lead. Mahomes praised his defense for holding strong in a tough spot, saying, "It’s easy in that situation to let them score... but they stood their ground." This defensive stop allowed the Chiefs to maintain momentum and ultimately extend their winning streak to 13 games, including playoffs.
With this win, the Chiefs (7-0) maintained their perfect record against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, improving to 6-0 at the venue. Meanwhile, Las Vegas (2-6) dropped its fourth consecutive game, though they managed to score at least 20 points for the first time since their 20-16 victory over Cleveland on Sept. 29.
Mahomes threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 30,000 passing yards, achieving the milestone in his 103rd game. His favorite target, Travis Kelce, recorded season highs with 10 catches for 90 yards and added a touchdown, his 75th, passing Jason Witten for fifth on the NFL's all-time tight end touchdown list. Kelce is now just two touchdowns away from surpassing Tony Gonzalez's franchise record.
Gardner Minshew, who filled in as quarterback for the Raiders, completed 24 of 30 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns but was sacked five times. Jakobi Meyers, returning after missing two games with an ankle injury, caught six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. However, the Raiders’ ground game was virtually non-existent, managing just 33 yards on 1.6 yards per carry against Kansas City’s fourth-ranked run defense.
"For us, being able to stop the run is the primary goal every single week," Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis said. "If we make them one-dimensional, that's where we want to be."
The Raiders struggled to stop the Chiefs on third downs, with Kansas City converting 12 of 16 attempts. This conversion rate tied for the second-highest of the season, as only the Bengals converted at a higher rate against the Eagles.
Las Vegas, however, had its chances. The Raiders trailed by four late in the third quarter when safety Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Mahomes at the Chiefs' 3-yard line. But the Raiders couldn’t capitalize, with three running plays gaining only two yards before Minshew was sacked on fourth down.
“We’re trying to establish some physicality up front,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “Right there at the 3-yard line, you’ve got to pound it in.”
Kansas City then responded with a clock-draining 87-yard drive that spanned 19 plays and took 9:43, culminating in a 24-yard Harrison Butker field goal early in the fourth quarter. A strip-sack of Minshew set up the Chiefs' final touchdown, all but sealing the win before a last-minute Raiders TD added some drama.
D-Hop Debuts for Chiefs
Newly acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made his Chiefs debut, catching two of three targets for 29 yards. Kansas City recently traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans for the former All-Pro to boost a receiving corps impacted by injuries. "He wanted to be in there," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He’ll get more chances in the next game."
Injuries
Chiefs: Safety Nazeeh Johnson left the game with a concussion in the first half, and tight end Jody Fortson suffered a knee injury.
Raiders: Center Andre James exited in the second half due to an ankle injury.
Up Next
Chiefs: Host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, Nov. 4.
Raiders: Travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
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