Yes, the Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champs. Yes, they were playing a divisional rival. Yes, league MVP Patrick Mahomes and defensive star Maxx Crosby were going head-to-head again. No, Chiefs vs. Raiders was likely not the pick of most NFL Viewers in the 3:25 window. I would imagine most NFL fans who had a choice tuned in for the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles game.

Following the end of the overtime thriller in Philadelphia, these viewers most likely checked in on scores from across the league. They would see that the Chiefs beat the Raiders 31-17, and probably didn’t think twice. But they would be missing a large part of the story. They would miss the fact that the Chiefs were once down 14-0 and were a Kevin Harlan jinx away from it being 17-0.

They would miss the fact that through two drives the Chiefs ran 7 plays and had 13 yards. Or that Kansas City had 11 yards in the first quarter. They would also miss that the Chiefs defense got off to an equally bad start, letting Josh Jacobs get whatever he wanted out of the backfield. Or Aidan O’Connell picking up third down after third down. However, as bad as the start was, this game may have been exactly what the Chiefs needed.

Trailing 14-0, Kansas City’s offense finally had to play with some urgency. Yes, there were still drops and penalties. But they did a much better job executing from the 2nd quarter on. And when trailing, there’s still not a better quarterback in the league than Patrick Mahomes.

In this article, I will look at some of the key players and moments from Sunday’s game.

Rashee Rice

Rashee Rice continued to show huge upside on Sunday and is quickly becoming one of Mahomes favorite targets. He’ll still have frustrating drops, including a costly 3rd down drop on Sunday. However, credit to Rice for time and time again having a short memory and not letting a bad play snowball into a bad game. For the day, Rice caught 8 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown was an impressive 39-yard shallow cross that he took the distance.

Following the game, Mahomes talked about Rice’s progress and what his role could look like down the stretch. Mahomes said, “It’s a complex offense, it’s hard for young guys to do it. So we kind of limit their roles, and as the season goes we expand them more and more. And I think he’s done a great job with it, there’s little things here and there that we can continue to work on. But for the most part he learns from his mistakes and gets better every single week.”

Travis Kelce

In my game preview, I talked about how the Chiefs need a big game from Travis Kelce and that’s exactly what they got. Kelce had 6 receptions for 91 yards. He time and time again finds ways to get open and works the middle of the field better than any Chiefs receiver. Even when Kelce doesn’t get open it’s likely due to a double team which opens up opportunities for guys like Rashee Rice and Justin Watson.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (87) and RB Isiah Pacheco (10) – Candice Ward/ Getty Images

Chiefs 2nd half offense

After being held scoreless in the second half of 3 straight games, Kansa City’s offense finally had a strong second-half performance. They outscored the Raiders 17-3 in the second half. As I talked about at the start of this article, I believe the slow start was exactly what the offense needed. Unlike most games this season, the defense couldn’t bail them out at the start. As a result, Kansas City finally had to play with some urgency and limit their mistakes. Hopefully, the Chiefs offense can build off this momentum.

Chiefs Defense

After a rough first quarter, the Chiefs defense buckled down and stopped Las Vegas in their tracks. The Raiders game plan was clear; give the ball to Josh Jacobs as often as possible and put O’Connell in third and short throwing situations, as opposed to third and long. Jacobs had a nice game taking the ball 20 times for 110 yards. However, 63 of those yards came on one run in the second quarter. Drue Tranquill had a good game on defense collecting 8 tackles with 2 of those going for a loss.

George Karlaftis picked up the lone sack for Kansas City, his 8th of the year. Trent McDuffie also played a nice game on defense and showcased his ability to not only be a lockdown corner but get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Harrison Butker

Harrison Butker deserves another shout-out. Butker made his lone 32-yard attempt on Sunday, making him 20/20 on field goal attempts this season. He has also yet to miss an extra point attempt this season and is currently 28/28. He’s been nothing short of spectacular this year, and in a season where Kansas City has settled for three more than usual, Butker has delivered every time.

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker

Chiefs K Harrison Butker (7) and P Tommy Townsend (5) – Charlie Riedel/ AP Photo

What’s next

Kansas City will travel to Green Bay for a Sunday night Showdown against the Packers. Winning at Lambeau Field is never easy, and the Packers are starting to hit their stride. They’ve won two in a row, including a Thanksgiving Day victory at Detroit. Hopefully the Chiefs offense can carry the momentum over and continue to cut down on their penalties.