Chiefs recover botched snap by Raiders in final seconds, clinch playoff berth
The Kansas City Chiefs recovered a botched snap while the Las Vegas Raiders were within range of a go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds remaining on Friday, preserving a 19-17 victory to give the franchise its 10th consecutive playoff berth.
The Raiders (2-10) had taken over at their own 8-yard line with just under two minutes to go, and QB Aidan O'Connell quickly moved them across midfield, eventually spiking the ball at the Kansas City 32 to stop the clock.
Rather than try a potential winning field goal — Daniel Carlson had already missed three from 50-plus — the Raiders lined up to run a play. Andre James snapped the ball when O'Connell wasn't expecting it, and it bounced off the quarterback's shoulder. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton jumped on the ball, and the recovery stood when a flag on the play turned out to be an illegal shift by the Raiders.
It was the 14th consecutive game decided by one possession that Kansas City (11-1) has won.
The Raiders had a chance earlier in the fourth quarter, and O'Connell similarly drove them across midfield, but the Chiefs forced three straight incomplete passes — George Karlaftis and Justin Reid batted down two — to bring up fourth down. Carlson headed onto the field, but his 58-yard try with 2:21 never got near the uprights.
Patrick Mahomes had 306 yards passing and a score for K.C., while fill-in kicker Matt Wright made four field goals.
O'Connell finished with 340 yards passing and two touchdowns for the Raiders, who have lost eight of nine to their bitter AFC West rivals. Rookie tight end Brock Bowers had 10 catches for 140 yards and one of the scores.
The hapless Raiders were able to hang around thanks to the same problems that have plagued the Chiefs much of the season: Their offensive tackles were unable to give Mahomes time to throw, their secondary kept breaking down, and they committed too many penalties — three on one offensive possession alone.
In fact, Mahomes was under extreme duress when he found Justin Watson from 6 yards out late in the first half. The pass not only gave the Chiefs a 10-3 lead but sent the two-time MVP past Len Dawson with his franchise-record 328th touchdown throw.
O'Connell, who was thrust back onto the field when backup Gardner Minshew went on injured reserve with a broken collarbone this week, got off to a slow start after missing a month with a broken thumb. But while the Chiefs continued to kick field goals, the second-year pro found his rhythm for the Raiders, eventually slinging a pair of touchdown passes to give Las Vegas the lead.
The first was to Bowers, already one of the most productive rookies in NFL history, with 1:40 left in the third quarter. Then, after the Chiefs went three-and-out, O'Connell hit Tre Tucker with a 58-yard strike on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs answered with Wright's fourth field goal to take a 19-17 lead with about 10 minutes to go.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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