The Chiefs survived another scare.
Las Vegas gave Kansas City all it could handle on Black Friday but came up short in excruciating fashion.
Here are five takeaways from Friday’s wild NFL game.
Chiefs might be luckier than they are good
Some things defy logic. Such as how Kansas City escaped Friday with a win.
The Raiders were in prime position to win the game after driving 54 yards to Kansas City’s 32-yard line with 16 seconds left. However, Raiders rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball on third down prematurely, and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton recovered the ball to seal the victory.
Las Vegas (2-10) played well enough to beat Kansas City (11-1). The Raiders outgained the Chiefs 434-329, averaged two more yards per play and held them to 1-of-5 on red-zone touchdown opportunities.
Kansas City’s win is the type that make people think cosmic forces are at play. After all, there’s no rational explanation for how Kansas City has survived multiple late scares.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champs, we already know the Chiefs are good. This year, they’ve shown how lucky they are, too.
Chiefs offensive line is on the naughty list
Kansas City’s offensive line gets coal in its stockings this year.
The unit allowed five sacks against the Raiders as quarterback Patrick Mahomes spent the game under duress.
Mahomes has been sacked 20 times over the Chiefs’ past five games after only taking 12 in their first seven games.
Per data from Pro Football Focus, tackles Wanya Morris and Jawaan Taylor combined to allow three sacks and 10 total pressures.
Mahomes struggled when pressured, going 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) for 54 yards (4.2 yards per attempt). He threw an impressive touchdown with a defender in his face in the second quarter, but the Chiefs would probably prefer not needing their two-time MVP quarterback to have to bail them out.
Antonio Pierce could be next head coach to get axed
The Raiders head coach made some moves that suggest he isn’t cut out to be a head coach.
He declined to challenge a questionable spot in the third quarter that, had the call been overturned, could have extended a Raiders drive.
Later, Pierce gave Mahomes an extra down when he accepted a penalty on an incomplete pass on a 2nd-and-15, passing up a 3rd-and-15 for a 2nd-and-20. Mahomes completed 15- and 19-yard passes on his next two plays to move the chains.
Near the end of the game, Pierce questionably called a timeout before attempting a 58-yard field goal, one of three that kicker Daniel Carlson missed.
Pierce wasn’t as responsible for the Raiders’ nightmare ending as Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was for Chicago’s inexplicable Thanksgiving collapse against the Lions. Eberflus was fired on Friday. While Pierce should have the rest of the season to prove he deserves another year as head coach, he hasn’t done much this year to warrant the opportunity.
Andy Reid goes conservative
It was odd watching Reid play things so conservatively in a divisional game. Per ESPN Analytics, Reid made some curious fourth-down decisions in the three-point win.
Reid attempted a 25-yard field goal early in the first quarter on a 4th-and-4 from the Raiders’ 7-yard line. ESPN Analytics recommended Reid go for it, with Kansas City’s win probability increasing 1.6 percentage points by keeping the offense on the field.
Reid also elected to punt on two other possessions. ESPN Analytics said kicking a field goal would have been the better play on a 4th-and-20 from the Las Vegas 37-yard line in the first quarter while going for it on 4th-and-2 late in the fourth quarter would have been a more optimal call than punting.
On Monday night, the Ravens were rewarded for head coach John Harbaugh’s gutsy fourth-down attempts. While Kansas City eked out the win with Reid going conservative, it nearly returned to haunt him.
Chris Jones gets hot
Jones recorded his first sack since September, ending Friday’s win with two.
He showed his unguardable quick release on one of his two sacks, easily beating Raiders tackle DJ Glaze to get to quarterback Aidan O’Connell.