Chiefs vs. Raiders Winner, Loser: Problem for Patrick Mahomes?

It wasn’t remotely pretty – again – but the Kansas City Chiefs will officially defend their Super Bowl crown and continue their quest to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.

KC defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 19-17 on Friday, becoming the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot and setting a new league record (including postseason) with 14 straight wins in one-possession games ) set up. However, as was the case throughout most of the 2024 campaign, the result was not without errors.

The winners and losers of the league’s second (now annual) Black Friday game:

WINNER

Patrick Mahomes

The two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP wasn’t accurate on Friday, completing 26 of his 46 throws, but still secured his 100th win (including playoffs), passing Tom Brady for the most by a quarterback in his first eight NFL seasons. (Interestingly, both Mahomes and Brady played sparingly as rookies, so their major success was effectively over Seven This is another metric that continues to legitimize Mahomes’ involvement in TB12 in the debate over who is the greatest QB in league history… even if the Chiefs’ star, who rushed for 306 yards and a touchdown against Las Vegas, always four more rings needed to meet the GOAT standard. As for the KC GOATs, Mahomes tied the franchise record with his 238th career touchdown throw, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Len Dawson, who served the organization for 14 seasons.

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Brock Bowers

He has definitely established himself as the Raiders’ best offensive player and could challenge DE Maxx Crosby for the team’s MVP sooner rather than later. On Friday, Bowers’ Sterling Silver and Black rookie campaign continued with another circus catch among his 10 receptions (for 140 yards and a TD). Now it’s just three snatches left to break the rookie tight end record of 86 (set by Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions last year) – and two weeks after Bowers tied the record for rookies at his position with 13 grabs in a single game – Bowers should definitely stay in consideration for the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year vote…unlikely since a non-quarterback will win. But with currently a league-high 84 receptions and on his way to 100, Bowers certainly needs to be in the conversation.

Reinforcement of the Chiefs

Kansas City RB Isiah Pacheco, a runner who often sets the tone for this offense, played for the first time since suffering a broken leg 11 weeks ago. He rushed seven times for a team-high 44 yards, which seems likely to be backfield committee the rest of the way. Also back in the lineup was DE Charles Omenihu (1 tackle), who made his season debut after suffering a torn ACL in the 2023 AFC Championship Game. Given the Chiefs’ relative struggles – aside from their sparkling 11-1 record so far – getting fresh, (relatively) healthy talent in key positions can only help.

Sincere McCormick

An undrafted rookie out of the University of Texas at San Antonio two years ago, he led the Raiders in rushing for the second straight year and had a career-best 12 carries for 64 yards. Perhaps the league’s least productive running game has finally found its spark.

Chief’s Holiday Hex

It appears exorcised after suffering a rather unforeseen 20-14 loss to the Raiders at GEHA Field in Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas last year, which was also Kansas City’s most recent defeat in a single-score game… although that was also the internal one Chiefs’ drive fueled path to Super Bowl 58 sprint. A loss on Friday would hardly have been disastrous, but it would have been just as good in averting another unpleasant surprise for their hated AFC West rival in front of their home fans – and one that would have opened the door for the Buffalo Bills to claim their projected number one seed become playoff picture.

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LOSER

Vanya Morris

The Chiefs’ struggling left tackle was benched midway through the fourth quarter after being repeatedly coached by edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, a first-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars who collected just five sacks in his first four seasons. He had 1½ Friday. All-Pro G Joe Thuney stepped out to take over for Morris, but it seems as though recently signed veteran DJ Humphries had better prepare to make his Chiefs debut immediately, as neither Morris nor rookie Kingsley Suamataia have signed up have proven ready to protect Mahomes, who has been sacked five times in each of the last two games. (Prior to Week 12, Mahomes had been sacked five times in a contest… once in his entire career.)

Daniel Carlson

To be fair, all three of the Raiders kicker’s field goals missed from at least 55 yards. But the All-Pro expectations at the position are the same, even in a tough place like Arrowhead… and especially in the backdrop of a two-point loss.

Chiefs defense

What is supposed to be the new backbone of this championship franchise has allowed 74 points in the last three games. Normally giving up 17 would be a good achievement. But by the end of the third quarter, KC was leading 16-3 before allowing a 33-yard touchdown to Bowers and then a 58-yard touchdown to Tre Tucker – and before he looked completely helpless on the Raiders’ game-winning drive, which came from He missed an unexpected snap from rookie C Jackson Powers-Johnson – DC Steve Spagnuolo needs to strengthen his unit.

Chiefs balance

Fifty-one dropbacks against 16 rushes and just nine touchdowns for RB Kareem Hunt? Come on, Andy.

Aidan O’Connell

In his first start since suffering a thumb injury on his hand six weeks ago, the Raiders second-year quarterback – taking over the reins from injured veteran Gardner Minshew II – posted higher numbers than Mahomes and threw for a team-best 340 yards Career a few touchdowns. (In last year’s Christmas surprise, it seemed as if Las Vegas had prevailed despite O’Connell, who passed for 62 yards.) Still, the indelible image on Friday will be the Raiders’ last snap, when they hit an unexpected AOC said He said he mistakenly confounded Powers-Johnson in the chest before it was recovered by the Chiefs to seal the win.

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Chiefs vs. Raiders Winner, Loser: Problem for Patrick Mahomes?

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