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First quarter
The Las Vegas Raiders can’t get anything going on the ground with Ashton Jeanty, so they turn
to the air with Geno Smith. Dont’e Thornton hauls in two receptions on the opening drive, including one that pushes the Raiders to the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-yard line.
After another run play is stuffed for a loss, Smith finds tight end Michael Mayer wide open for a 29-yard touchdown.
On the Chiefs’ ensuing drive, Patrick Mahomes and the offense move into Raiders territory. Facing third-and-one, the Chiefs line up for a quarterback sneak, but Mahomes is stopped just inches short, setting up fourth-and-inches.
Kansas City keeps the drive alive as Mahomes hits JuJu Smith-Schuster on a quick out route to convert the fourth down.
End of first quarter: Raiders 7, Chiefs 0
Second quarter
Mahomes caps the drive by waltzing untouched into the end zone to tie the game.
Trent McDuffie quickly makes his presence felt, tallying a tackle for loss, a pass deflection, and stopping Smith as he tries to escape the pocket for a first down.
But the Raiders answer right back. Jaden Hicks is beaten on a corner route by Tre Tucker, who hauls in a 46-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead for Las Vegas.
On the Chiefs’ next drive, Kansas City faces early pressure to avoid a three-and-out. Travis Kelce comes through with a crucial third-and-short conversion to keep the offense moving, and a 17-yard gain soon after brings them near midfield.
Mahomes continues to spread the ball around, converting two more third downs with passes to Smith-Schuster before finding Rashee Rice for his first catch of the game, setting the Chiefs up inside the 10-yard line.
One play later, Mahomes calls his own number again, keeping it for his second rushing touchdown of the half.
As for the Raiders, their run game remains stagnant — Jeanty fails to record a single rushing yard before halftime.
End of second quarter: Chiefs 14, Raiders 14
Third quarter
The Chiefs benefit from deferring to the second half, halting any potential Raiders scoring before halftime.
Mahomes picks up right where he leaves off, repeatedly finding Smith-Schuster out of the slot for chunk gains that set up the deep shot.
On the next play, Hollywood Brown breaks free on a corner route and hauls in a 29-yard touchdown, giving Kansas City its first lead of the game.
Pete Carroll responds by dialing up play-action, but George Karlaftis reads it perfectly and brings down Smith for the sack. Smith bounces back on the following play, hitting Jack Bech on a crossing route to move the chains.
Then, on a wheel route, Jeanty is matched up against Nick Bolton — and despite tight coverage, Smith drops it right in for a 40-yard catch and run that flips the field.
The Raiders set up first-and-goal but can’t punch it in with Jeanty or Raheem Mostert. A promising drive stalls, forcing Daniel Carlson to settle for a short field goal.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 21, Raiders 17
Fourth quarter
Mahomes powers through two quarterback sneaks to convert a pair of third-and-one situations, while handoffs to Isiah Pacheco keep the clock firmly in Kansas City’s control.
Just when it looks like the drive might stall on third-and-12, Mahomes goes back to his most trusted target of the day — Smith-Schuster — who hauls in a 16-yard catch over the middle to move the chains.
The Chiefs may have sealed the game by grabbing the clock by the horns and milking it for all it’s worth — 17 plays, 78 yards, and more than eight minutes drained off the clock. “Welcome back to the end zone, Rice,” as Rice caps it with a touchdown grab that puts Kansas City up by two scores with under three minutes remaining.
The Raiders tack on a late touchdown when Jeanty finds the end zone, followed by a successful two-point conversion to Bech. But a failed onside kick erases any hopes of a comeback.
Adding insult to injury, the Chiefs need just one more first down to close it out. Instead, Kelce breaks two tackles on a short pass and sprints 41 yards for a dagger touchdown to finish off the Raiders.
Final score: Chiefs 35, Raiders 25
Notable stats
- Patrick Mahomes 27 for 30, 297 yards, 3 touchdowns, 6 carries, 18 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Geno Smith 19 for 21, 299 yards, 3 touchdowns, 4 carries, 28 yards
- Isiah Pacheco 14 carries, 31 yards, 5 receptions, 27 yards
- Ashton Jeanty 8 carries, 17 yards, 2 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown
- Travis Kelce 9 receptions, 119 yards, 1 touchdown
- JuJu Smith-Schuster 7 receptions, 66 yards
- Hollywood Brown 4 receptions, 51 yards, 1 touchdown
- Rahsee Rice 3 receptions, 34 yards, 1 touchdown
- Dont’e Thornton Jr. 5 receptions, 46 yards
- Michael Mayer 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jack Bech 3 receptions, 45 yards
- Trent McDuffie 6 tackles (4 solo, 1 for loss), 1 pass defensed
- George Karlaftis 1 sack
- Devin White 15 tackles (6 solo, 1 for loss), 2 passes defensed
In Week 8, the Chiefs remain on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, where they will take on the Washington Commanders for “Monday Night Football.” We’ll once again see how the game plays out in the EA Universe.
