The result of the game between the Chiefs and Raiders was never really in question. On the first play from scrimmage, Jarren Reed punched the ball free from Josh Jacobs’ hands, and Mike Hughes dashed towards the endzone. From that point on the Chiefs made it clear who the best team on the field was. Unexpectedly, the Chiefs offense has not been the strength of the team over their 6 game win streak. The same could not be said for this game. The Chiefs were able to put up 35 points by halftime thanks to a complete team performance.
Game Recap
Kansas City was out to prove something on Sunday. Last year the Chiefs watched as the Raiders paraded around their stadium celebrating a 40-32 victory over the Chiefs. Although the players and coaches denied it, that memory was still fresh in their minds. The Chiefs have emphasized getting takeaways and pressure on the quarterback during their win streak. Sunday against the Raiders the Chiefs accumulated 5 turnovers and 4 sacks. The offense also showed up early and often in this game. Stars like Patrick Mahomes and Clyde Edwards-Helaire put up big numbers. The Chiefs also got assistance from players like Derrick Gore and Josh Gordon.
Key Performances from the Chiefs
Mike Hughes: The unexpected star of Sunday’s game was cornerback Mike Hughes. With a fumble recovery in the first quarter and a forced fumble late in the game, Hughes gave a big boost to the Chiefs’ defense. Also worth noting, Hughes stepped up in the absence of the young star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Sneed was listed on the injury report as a non-injury on Friday following the sudden death of his older brother. Hughes and other Chiefs players seemed to play with extra motivation to honor Sneed in this tragic time for his family.
Tyrann Mathieu: Mathieu was able to do something he has not done dating back to the Baltimore game in week 2. On Sunday Mathieu got his hands on two turnovers. The interception came off a tipped ball and the fumble came as a result of being in the right place at the right time. Mathieu has said over the past few weeks that he is too good not to get a few turnovers. On Sunday that prediction came to fruition.
Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill across the field for 38 yards. Ridiculous video game type stuff LMAO!
Originally tweeted by ✯✯✯✯✯ (@FTB_Vids_YT) on December 12, 2021.
Patrick Mahomes: Although his stats from Sunday’s game are not the most eye-popping, Mahomes looked as comfortable as he has looked all season against the Raiders. At times this season, Mahomes has been frustrated with the two high safety looks. Today, the Raiders switched up their coverage schemes, and Mahomes took advantage. A great example of this came on a 38 yard connection from Mahomes to Tyreek Hill.
Looking Ahead
The Kansas City Chiefs will face off with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, December 16th in Los Angeles. This will be a rematch of the September 26th matchup that the Chargers won 30-24. In that game, the Chiefs lost the turnover battle 4-0. Look for that trend to be a factor in deciding the game as the Chiefs have dominated the turnover margin over their now 6 game winning streak.
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