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- 4 occasions is the allure for the Chiefs. Travis Kelce had an outstanding recreation on Monday evening, compiling a spotlight reel of touchdowns match for his future place in Canton. Kelce accounted for all 4 of the Chiefs’ touchdowns, and did so whereas gaining simply 25 yards on seven receptions. The stats do not logically match, however that is what makes Kelce so efficient. He is an almost unguardable purple zone menace, and his skill to regulate on the fly — working a drag that required him to climate successful from Denzel Perryman, reverse course, catch a cross from Patrick Mahomes and outrun the remaining defenders — produced one rating that was important to Kansas Metropolis’s comeback efforts. His final was essentially the most pivotal, after all, giving the Chiefs the lead that may stand via the ultimate whistle. Tyreek Hill is gone, however Kelce stays in Kansas Metropolis — and he is simply as essential as ever.
- The Raiders have solely themselves responsible for this loss. We have seen loads of leads evaporate within the NFL this season, however it stays uncommon to see a workforce blow a 17-point lead with out committing a single turnover. Nonetheless, the Raiders discovered a method to take action towards the sometimes explosive Chiefs, and once they evaluation the tape, they’re going to be reasonably upset with themselves. The quantity of occasions Las Vegas ended up not on time was outstanding, and solely topped by the gross complete of penalties dedicated — 11 accepted for 99 yards — with many coming on the worst doable time. Essentially the most egregious arrived when Las Vegas managed to cease Kansas Metropolis and drive a subject objective try, which Matthew Wright missed from 37 yards out. As a substitute of getting the ball again going through a one-point deficit, a defensive holding penalty on Malcolm Koonce gave the Chiefs a recent set of downs, which they used to attain a landing to take a 30-23 lead. That benefit held to the tip, for a complete different set of causes we’ll cowl within the subsequent level.
- Pointless aggression doomed the Raiders. Josh McDaniels scored an early win by dialing up a deep shot to Davante Adams on a first-half fourth-and-1 for a landing, however that very same aggression value Las Vegas an opportunity of not less than surviving into extra time. Derek Carr’s lovely landing cross to Adams put the Raiders inside one level of tying the sport, however as an alternative of taking the tie rating through a Daniel Carlson further level and placing it on the protection to guard their probability to go win it, McDaniels went for 2 to attempt to take a one-point lead with loads of time left for Mahomes and Co. to regain the lead. The Raiders failed, leaving the sport at 30-29, however nonetheless acquired the mandatory cease. As a substitute of having the ability to attempt to transfer into subject objective vary with the safety of a tie, although, the Raiders needed to get there with the specter of a loss looming over them on the highway. The style wherein they failed stood as the ultimate exclamation level on an assortment of situational errors: Dealing with fourth-and-1 with the sport on the road, McDaniels referred to as a play that required two slow-developing, downfield routes to intersect with the hopes of releasing Adams for a go-ahead rating. As a substitute, Adams bumped into Hunter Renfrow, and Carr’s heave landed within the abyss of the open subject. McDaniels may have used his two glorious route-runners in a short-route scheme with the expectation Steve Spagnuolo would dial up strain on a key down and hope Carr would get the ball out rapidly to Adams or Renfrow. As a substitute, he went for the win — on two separate events — and acquired burned each occasions.
- No lead is protected towards Mahomes. This is not one thing we discovered tonight, after all, however Mahomes actually strengthened this lesson by doing what he does greatest: discovering an assortment of targets, regardless of the state of affairs. Regardless of being dominated on the level of assault for a lot of the primary half, Mahomes used his magic to propel the Chiefs again into the sport. Mahomes was beneath fixed duress early within the recreation, however the Chiefs discovered a strategy to get up offensively and put 10 factors on the board earlier than the break. From there, the momentum was already rolling, with Mahomes avoiding strain to ship tight-window passes for unlikely completions and hold the offense shifting. When it was all completed, Mahomes linked with 9 completely different targets and racked up 292 yards regardless of failing to interrupt 100 yards with anybody pass-catcher. The whole workforce effort started with Mahomes and ended with the remainder of his teammates, producing a convincing win that appeared unlikely earlier than the break.
- Kansas Metropolis maintains its grip on the AFC West. Certain, we may use this level to complain about roughing the passer penalties and missed holds, however that is a waste of time. As a substitute, let us take a look at the affect of this recreation. It is solely Week 5, however the Chiefs have accomplished a wonderful job of avoiding the identical sluggish begin that had people involved about their outlook at the moment a yr in the past. The Chiefs sit atop the AFC West at 4-1 with one other clutch divisional win of their pocket, and in the event that they hadn’t given away a recreation in Indianapolis, they’d stand alongside the Philadelphia Eagles as the one two undefeated groups left within the NFL. As a substitute, they’re going to need to take 4-1 and be ok with it, particularly after coming again to beat a Raiders workforce that punched them within the mouth early on this recreation. This win was a convincing one, as a result of it strengthened simply how robust it’s to beat the Chiefs, particularly at Arrowhead Stadium, even when every part appears to be going within the guests’ favor. By means of 5 weeks, the long-reigning kings of the AFC West stay the workforce to beat.
Subsequent Gen Stat of the sport: Travis Kelce traveled 52.7 yards from snap to attain on his 8-yard landing reception from Patrick Mahomes, Kelce’s third rating of the evening and essentially the most distance traveled on a landing play beneath 10 yards since Mitchell Trubisky coated 71.9 yards in Week 7 of the 2018 season.
NFL Analysis: Along with his fourth passing landing (all to Travis Kelce), Patrick Mahomes handed Troy Aikman on the all-time record for profession touchdowns on Monday evening with 166, recorded early in his sixth NFL season. Aikman threw 165 touchdowns throughout 12 seasons and referred to as the Monday evening recreation for ESPN.
