On Christmas Eve on this site, we said the NFL gave us a couple of possible stinkers (the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles), and one big present (the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens at the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers) on Christmas Day.
Turns out, the league knew what they were doing.
Interim coach Antonio Pierce talked about bringing a level of violence and hatred back to the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry on Christmas – the opposite of what Christmas is about. Jack Jones did that with a kid after he intercepted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (Jack Jones goes full Grinch mode and fakes kid this kid out from the TD ball 😂) and the Raiders did something they hadn’t done since 2020: they beat the Chiefs in Kansas City, 20-14 (Raiders stun sloppy Chiefs with 2 defensive TDs in 20-14 victory on Christmas Day).
“They played a better game than we did today,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “On offense we struggled. That’s my responsibility to make sure we put the guys in the right position to make plays, and that didn’t happen the way we wanted it to. I take full responsibility for the way we played offensively there.”
Of course, the Raiders, even with a losing record (7-8), can technically still make the playoffs and even with the AFC West. They visit the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday, then host the Denver Broncos in the season finale on Jan. 7.
The Chiefs are 9-6 with two games remaining (Cincinnati at home next Sunday, then at the Los Angeles Chargers on Jan. 7).
The Broncos are in the mix in all of this, too, even though they lost to the New England Patriots on Sunday, and are also 7-8.
The Raiders beat Kansas City on Monday even though at times their offense looked inept. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell went 9-of-21 for just 62 yards, just horrible. Hey, here at TFB, we call horrible out, man. The Raiders’ defense kept them in the game and the Chiefs’ offensive mistakes didn’t help their own cause. A turnover on a bobbled exchange between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Isiah Pacheco inside their own 10-yard-line led to a fumble that Bilal Nichols returned 8 yards for a touchdown, and then, on the very next series – just seven seconds of game-clock later – Mahomes dropped back and threw a pick-six to Jones. Jones stared Mahomes down as he returned it for a touchdown.
Brandon Bolden ran for the two-point conversion, giving the Raiders a 17-7 lead with 4:48 left in the second quarter, as the boos cascaded down in the Chiefs’ home stadium – unclear for sure if it was the Raiders they were booing, or the Chiefs.
Both Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce had meltdowns on the sideline: Mahomes yelling, and Kelce at one point throwing his helmet, and then missing the next play because of it.
The Raiders added a field goal, a 35-yarder, with 24 seconds left in the third quarter, and the Chiefs did score with 2:42 left in the game – a 7-yard pass from Mahomes to Justin Watson. But Kansas City elected not to try an onside kick, and the Raiders were able to string a few first downs together, and actually ran out the clock.
Mahomes finished 27-of-44 for 235 yards, the touchdown to Watson and the pick to Jones. He also had 53 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Pacheco left the game with a concussion after his helmet came off and he took a knee to the head, from one of his own linemen.
