In a game highlighted by superstar receivers, the Chiefs came out on top, defeating the Raiders in a 30-29 nailbiter.

Travis Kelce stole the spotlight, reeling in 7 receptions for 25 yards and 4 touchdowns, the fewest yards for a player with a 4 TD performance in NFL history. Davante Adams also had a great night, notching 124 yards and 2 touchdowns on three receptions, averaging a whopping 41.3 yards per catch.

First half

The Raiders came out roaring, putting up points in all but one of their first-half drives. At one point, Las Vegas led 17-0 behind a 58-yard touchdown catch by Davante Adams and a score from Josh Jacobs.

However, toward the end of the second quarter, the Raiders’ defense began to falter. At the end of the half, the Raiders were up 20-10 after giving up a Travis Kelce touchdown and a field goal, a decent lead for the Raiders but the game was surely trending in the wrong direction after a hot start.

Second half

It then became Kansas City’s turn to come out firing on all cylinders in half number two. The Chiefs started the half on a 20-3 run, taking a 30-23 lead with half of the fourth quarter left to play.

Kelce had at this point dominated the game, notching his fourth touchdown in five drives, with the Chiefs being on an outstanding 30-6 run since the second quarter. However, half of a quarter is plenty of time to put seven points on the board, and after a failed two-point conversion on Kansas City’s last touchdown, the game was just a touchdown and extra point away from being a tied affair.

Seven plays later, Derek Carr found Davante Adams for his second touchdown, this time from 48 yards out. An extra point away from tying the game with four minutes and three timeouts left, the Raiders made a controversial decision to forgo the extra point and go for the lead. Putting the ball in the hands of a flaming hot Josh Jacobs, the two-point conversion failed, and the Raiders gave the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with a lead he wasn’t expecting to have. 

The Raiders’ defense however decided to give their offense one more chance at victory. Holding the Chiefs to a five-play drive that lasted under two minutes, the Raiders got the ball back with 2:29 left on the clock and a timeout, plenty of time to get down the field and kick a field goal to take the lead from their own 7-yard line.

Raiders at Chiefs: Week 5 notes and prediction

Final drive

Seven plays later, the Raiders found themselves facing a 3rd and 1 at their own 46. Following a first down completion that was overturned as an incompletion, the Raiders faced 4th and 1 with the game on the line, with no timeouts, and under a minute left to move a solid 15-20 yards to get into field goal range. On fourth down, Derek Carr tried to find Davante Adams deep, but Adams collided with Hunter Renfrow, the ball fell to the turf, and the Chiefs walked away with a close win.

Would a kicked PAT have saved the Raiders, or would Mahomes have just driven down the field and kicked a field goal for the win? We may never know, but the Raiders are still 1-4 regardless, a record shared by only four other teams.

What we learned

The Raiders can’t hold a lead

This is the second time so far this season that the Raiders have held a 17-point lead or greater and still lost the game. There is no reason for any team to be this adept at losing leads, especially if you are spending the third most money on offense in the NFL. Simply put, the offensive game plan needs to change. So far this season, the Raiders have been outscored 55-26 in the second half of games that they have led at halftime. 

Davante Adams frustrated in Las Vegas?

Following a 1-4 start, most people would be unhappy, and understandably so. However, Davante Adams decided to exert his frustration with the Raider’s subpar start in likely one of the worst ways possible. As he was leaving the stadium, Adams shoved a cameraman who got in his way to the ground, not stopping and leaving the stadium. This may be a sign that Adams does not enjoy his new team at all, and understandably so.

Josh Jacobs will make the Raiders regret letting him walk

Following the Raiders declining his contract option, Josh Jacobs has put up the third most rushing yards in the NFL this season, behind only Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley. Jacobs will likely have a very active market pursuing his services come the offseason, and the Raiders will likely not want to deal out a large contract to Jacobs after dishing out large contracts to other offensive stars.

Raiders: 2022 preseason notes and season predictions

Up next

The Raiders will look to right the ship after a Week 6 bye to refresh and regroup, facing the Texans on Sunday, Oct. 23. The game at Allegiant Stadium will kick off at 2:05 p.m. MT and can be seen on CBS.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats are via ESPN.com.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR