In Week 18 of the 2025 regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Las Vegas hoping to move past the five the five straight losses that had kept them out of the playoffs. They sought a season-ending victory over the the Las Vegas Raiders to finish the season at 7-10. But the Kansas City offense couldn’t move the ball against a Las Vegas team that will be making the first pick in April’s NFL Draft. The season ended with a frustrating 14-12 loss — and a lot of questions for 2026.
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First Quarter
Las Vegas won the coin toss and elected to defer. Kansas City opened the drive at its own 35-yard line with Brashard Smith taking a shotgun handoff up the right guard spot for four yards. Smith stayed involved on the next snap, carrying left end for two more yards to set up a manageable third down. On third-and-4, Chris Oladokun dropped back in shotgun but was swallowed up by Cam Snowden for a 10-yard loss, forcing a quick three-and-out. Matt Araiza came on to punt, sending the ball 41 yards to the Las Vegas 28, where Alex Bachman returned it 14 yards to the Raiders’ 42 to flip the field.
Las Vegas took over near midfield and opened the drive with Ashton Jeanty running left guard for a short two-yard gain to the Raiders’ 44. Facing second-and-long, Kenny Pickett went to the air from shotgun, targeting Ja’Corey Bech on a short throw to the left. Safety Chamarri Conner jumped the route, intercepting the pass at the Las Vegas 47 and returning it one yard to the Raiders’ 46, giving Kansas City an early takeaway and prime field position.
Starting at the Raiders’ 46 after the interception, Kansas City tried to capitalize but stalled. Oladokun opened the possession with a short incompletion to Smith on the right. The Chiefs then went to the ground, with Smith running right guard for four yards to the Las Vegas 42. On the next snap, Oladokun appeared to hit Smith-Schuster over the middle for a 14-yard gain to the Raiders’ 28, but the play was wiped out by an ineligible downfield penalty on Godrick, bringing the ball back to the 42. Facing third-and-long, Oladokun took a deep shot up the middle for Brown, but the pass fell incomplete, forcing Kansas City into a third-and-11 situation and halting the early momentum.
Pinned deep near its own goal line, Las Vegas leaned on its running game to start the series, with Austin Jeanty pushing up the middle for a single yard to the four. Kenny Pickett then tried to get the Raiders out of trouble with a quick throw to Jeanty on the right, but it netted just three yards and left the offense backed up inside its own 10. On third down, the Chiefs’ pass rush closed in — Chris Jones beat his man cleanly and dragged Pickett down in the end zone area for a six-yard sack, forcing a punt from just outside the goal line. AJ Cole responded with a booming 52-yard punt, flipping the field and giving Kansas City possession near midfield at its own 46-yard line.
Butker Opens the Scoring With a Long, Steady Drive
Kansas City took over at its own 46 and Oladokun opened the drive with an incomplete throw to Smith. Oladokun then found Smith-Schuster on a short pass that moved the ball across midfield. Smith followed with a physical nine-yard run on third down to keep the drive alive, then broke to the edge for a 14-yard gain that pushed the Chiefs deep into Raiders territory. A short run set up first-and-10 at the Las Vegas 24, but the drive briefly stalled with an incomplete deep shot to Jalen Royals. On third-and-8, Oladokun checked the ball down to Hunt, who picked up four yards to set up a manageable fourth down. Butker came on and drilled a 36-yard field goal, giving Kansas City the early 3–0 lead.
Las Vegas began the drive at its own 32, but it quickly stalled. Pickett missed deep to Thornton on first down, then Ashton Jeanty picked up six yards on a left-side run. On third down, Pickett scrambled to his right and ran for nine yards to move the chains, but the momentum didn’t last. Williams dropped Pickett for an eight-yard sack, and an incomplete throw to Mayer set up third-and-long. Jeanty gained only five yards on the next play, forcing the Raiders to punt. Cole hit a high, 47-yard punt that Smith returned 11 yards to the Kansas City 20, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Chiefs pushed the ball back 10 yards to end the sequence.
Kansas City took over at its own 10 and tried to work out from deep territory. Dameon Pierce handled the early workload, running four yards to the 14 and adding another two yards on the next carry to bring up third down. Oladokun converted by finding Kelce on a short throw for five yards to the 21, but Pierce was limited to two more yards on first down. A false start on Kelce stalled the momentum and pushed the Chiefs backward as the first quarter ended
Second Quarter
Early in the second, Pierce gained two yards to the 20, and Oladokun hit Gray underneath for six yards on third-and-long, but it wasn’t enough. Matt Araiza punted from the 26, booming a 58-yard kick to the Raiders’ 16, where Bachman returned it 11 yards to the 27 to flip the field.
Las Vegas started the drive at its own 27-yard line. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was incomplete on a short throw to Jeanty, then Jeanty followed with a six-yard run to set up third-and-4. O’Connell’s short pass to Lockett fell incomplete, prompting the Raiders to line up in punt formation. Instead, they attempted a fake punt, with Isaiah Pola-Mao taking the direct snap and running right end for three yards. The play came up short of the line to gain, turning the ball over on downs.
After taking over near midfield following the failed fake punt, Kansas City tried to strike quickly. Oladokun hit Brown on a short throw to the right, with Brown stepping out at the Las Vegas 33 for a short gain. On the next snap, the drive unraveled. Oladokun was sacked by Wilson, who knocked the ball loose on the hit. The fumble rolled back toward midfield before being recovered by Pegues at the Kansas City 44, flipping possession back to the Raiders and wasting the Chiefs’ short-field opportunity.
Raiders tie the game on a short field goal
Las Vegas took over near midfield and leaned heavily on Jeanty to move the ball. Jeanty started the drive with a physical 12-yard run off right tackle, bringing the Raiders from the Kansas City 44 down to the 32. He followed with another carry to the right for four yards, then powered up the middle for five more to set up a manageable third down. Jeanty picked up the first down on third-and-1, slipping left tackle for three yards to the Kansas City 20.O’Connell then tried to take a shot on first down, but his pass to Tucker fell incomplete. Jeanty again churned out tough yards inside, gaining three to move the ball to the 17. On third-and-7, O’Connell checked it down to tight end Mayer over the middle, but Bolton and Tranquill closed quickly to limit the gain to three yards, stopping the Raiders short of the sticks. Carlson came on and converted the 32-yard field goal, trimming the Chiefs’ lead as Las Vegas finished the drive with points instead of a touchdown.
Kansas City’s drive stalled quickly after starting at its own 35-yard line. Oladokun opened the series with an incompletion to tight end Gray on the right side. He followed by looking for Brown, but that pass also fell incomplete. Facing third-and-10, Oladokun checked the ball down to Hunt on the left, but the play gained only four yards as the Raiders rallied to the ball. With the Chiefs unable to move the chains, Araiza came on to punt. His 49-yard kick pinned Las Vegas at its own 12-yard line, where Bachman was wrapped up immediately for no return, setting the Raiders up deep in their own territory.
Las Vegas began the possession backed up near its own 12-yard line, with Jeanty grinding out a one-yard gain b before a defensive holding penalty on Pickens extended the drive after an incomplete pass. O’Connell then hit Tucker on a short throw that turned into a 14-yard gain out to the 32, briefly flipping field position. Jeanty followed with a strong seven-yard run up the middle, setting up a manageable third down, but the drive stalled when O’Connell misfired short to Lockett on third-and-3. Fulton was in coverage on the incompletion, forcing the Raiders into a punt situation after a modest but methodical series.
Kansas City took over deep in its own territory and leaned on the run to gain breathing room. Brashard Smith opened the drive with an eight-yard carry out to the 17, then added a short one-yard run to set up third-and-short. On the next play, Chris Oladokun scrambled and tried to lunge forward to move the chains, but the ball came loose as he stretched for the first down. Las Vegas recovered the fumble at the Kansas City 18, abruptly ending the drive and giving the Raiders prime field position.
After recovering the fumble, Las Vegas took over already in scoring range and immediately went back to Jeanty. Jeanty was first dropped for a two-yard loss on a right-guard run, but a defensive holding penalty wiped out what would have been a forced fumble by Omenihu and kept the drive alive. On the next snap, Jeanty bounced back with a seven-yard run to the Kansas City 6, then added a two-yard gain to set up third-and-short as the two-minute warning approached. Coming out of the break, Kansas City’s defense stiffened — Jeanty was stopped for a one-yard loss on third down, forcing the Raiders to settle. Carlson came on and drilled a 23-yard field goal to extend Las Vegas’ lead with 1:56 remaining in the half.
Kansas City tried to move the ball late in the half, but the drive never found rhythm. Oladokun’s first play was wiped out by an offensive holding penalty after he scrambled for a first down, setting the Chiefs back. He answered with a 13-yard checkdown to Hunt, then hit Smith and Gray on short completions to inch toward midfield as Las Vegas used its timeouts. A quick throw to Smith-Schuster pushed the ball to the Raiders’ 48, but the momentum stalled when Oladokun was sacked for an 11-yard loss, forcing third-and-long. With 35 seconds left, Oladokun completed a short pass to Jalen Royals that gained only two yards before the half expired.
Third Quarter
Las Vegas opened the second half by attacking downfield, as Aidan O’Connell hit Michael Mayer on a deep strike for 23 yards to the Kansas City 36 to quickly flip field position. A false start briefly stalled the drive, but Tre Tucker picked up four yards on an end-around and Ashton Jeanty followed with a tough inside run to move the ball closer to the red zone. Facing third-and-long, O’Connell scrambled up the middle for seven yards to set up a manageable fourth-and-one. The Raiders kept the offense on the field, but Jeanty was dropped in the backfield by Nick Bolton for a one-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs and giving Kansas City a defensive stop near midfield.
Chiefs tie the game with a field goal
Kansas City put together a long, methodical drive that ultimately ended in points. It began with Shane Buechele finding Brown on a short throw that gained 10 yards and helped flip field position. Smith was bottled up for no gain on the next snap, but Buechele settled in, hitting Kelce underneath and later scrambling for four yards to help keep the drive alive. Facing fourth-and-one near midfield, Hunt powered ahead for three yards to move the chains. From there, Buechele continued to lean on short throws, including a check down to Smith and a 13-yard completion to Gray that pushed the ball inside the Raiders’ 25. The drive stalled in the red zone after back-to-back sacks of Buechele, but Butker came on and drilled a 40-yard field goal to tie the game.
Las Vegas started with Jeanty grinding out a three-yard run, followed by a short loss and a swing pass that set up third down. O’Connell kept the drive alive with an 11-yard completion to Jackson, and after a false start briefly stalled momentum, O’Connell went back to the air, finding Tucker down the right side for a 16-yard gain into Kansas City territory as the quarter expired.
Fourth Quarter
Early in the fourth, Jeanty picked up three tough yards inside the Chiefs’ 40, but Kansas City’s defense stiffened. O’Connell misfired deep to Tucker and then dumped the ball off to Jeanty, who was tackled for a loss by Gillotte. Facing fourth-and-nine, Carlson was sent out and drilled a 55-yard field goal, to take the lead.
Kansas City also went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. It began with Smith trying to get to the edge on a left-end run, but Adams forced him out for no gain. Buechele then dropped back on consecutive snaps and could not get the offense moving — first missing Gray on a short throw to the left, then firing another incomplete pass that was disrupted by Booker. Facing fourth-and-10 from their own 20, Araiza came on to punt and delivered a booming 59-yard kick. Bachman fielded it near the sideline at the Las Vegas 21 and was immediately forced out of bounds by Williams, flipping the field but sending the Chiefs defense right back out.
Las Vegas went three-and-out on its next possession, unable to build on the field goal. The drive opened with Jeanty losing a yard on a left tackle run as Omenihu and Christiansen closed quickly. On second down, O’Connell took a deep shot down the right side to Thornton, but the pass fell incomplete. Facing third-and-long, O’Connell again went to the air, this time targeting Lockett on a short route, but the throw was off the mark. With no room to operate, the Raiders were forced to punt, and Cole boomed a 53-yard kick that sailed out of bounds at the Kansas City 27, handing the ball back to the Chiefs.
Kansas City took over at its own 20 to start the series, but the drive stalled quickly. Smith tried to bounce a run to the left edge on first down and was forced out for no gain by Adams. On second down, Buechele looked short left for Gray, but the pass fell incomplete. Buechele came back on third-and-10 and again misfired to the left, with Booker getting a hand into the throwing lane to disrupt the pass. Facing fourth-and-10, Araiza punted from the Chiefs’ 20 and boomed a 59-yard kick to the Las Vegas 21, where Bachman fielded it near the sideline and was pushed out of bounds immediately by Williams, setting the Raiders up with solid field position.
Kansas City backed up near its own goal line opened the drive with Hunt plunging up the middle from the six for a single yard. On second down, Hunt again carried, this time off right guard, pushing the ball out to the 10 while Wilson finished the tackle. Facing third-and-6 from deep in its own territory, Buechele dropped back in shotgun but had no chance as Wilson broke through cleanly and dragged him down in the end zone for a 10-yard loss, resulting in a safety that added two points for Las Vegas.
Following the safety, Butker delivered a booming free kick from the Kansas City 20 that sailed to the Las Vegas 1. Laube brought it back up the middle to the 23, but Downs jarred the ball loose from behind. Linebacker Cochrane was in the right place to recover the fumble at the Las Vegas 21, giving the Chiefs immediate possession deep in Raiders territory. Buechele opened the drive with an incompletion intended for Kelce, and the Chiefs quickly found themselves behind the chains when Buechele was sacked by White for a three-yard loss after Suamataia stepped on his foot. A false start on Suamataia pushed Kansas City even farther back, and Buechele’s third-down pass for Hunt fell incomplete. Forced to settle, Butker drilled a 47-yard field goal to cut into the deficit with 3:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Pinned deep late in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas tried to run out the clock but went nowhere. The drive opened with Jeanty stopped for no gain up the middle by Gillotte and Bolton. On second down, O’Connell’s short throw for Mayer fell incomplete, and on third down Jones beat his blocker for a five-yard sack to force fourth-and-long. With 2:35 remaining, Cole punted from his own end, sending it 56 yards to the Kansas City 23, where Brashard Smith returned it three yards before being pushed out at the 26, giving the Chiefs one last chance with the ball.
After the Raiders went three-and-out, capped by Chris Jones’ sack and a punt that gave Kansas City the ball at its own 26, the Chiefs mounted a late drive needing points. Shane Buechele immediately took a deep shot and hit Brown down the left side for a 51-yard gain to the Las Vegas 23, flipping the field before the two-minute warning. Hunt handled the next two snaps, grinding out four yards and then three more to move the ball inside the 20. On third-and-3, Buechele was dropped for a seven-yard loss by White, pushing Kansas City back and forcing a long fourth down. Harrison Butker came on and calmly drilled a 41-yard field goal with 1:05 remaining, cutting into the deficit and keeping the Chiefs alive late in the fourth quarter.
With under a minute left, Las Vegas took over needing one final drive to seal it. Aidan O’Connell opened by hitting Michael Mayer deep down the left side for 21 yards, moving the ball from the Raiders’ 32 to the Kansas City 47. An incompletion followed, but O’Connell came back to Tyler Lockett on a short throw to advance the ball to the Chiefs’ 42. After Kansas City used its final timeout, O’Connell’s next pass fell incomplete, setting up fourth-and-5. Daniel Carlson then trotted out and delivered the dagger, drilling a 60-yard field goal to take the lead.
After an incompletion to Kelce with eight seconds left, Buechele went back to Kelce again over the middle on the final play. Kelce secured the short pass threw it back JuJu Smith-Schuster who got it to Buechele briefly before he flipped it to Suamataia, who was finally forced out of bounds after hurdling a defender, ending the game amid the scramble.
