Chiefs at Raiders: Highlights, score and recap
By Brad Weiss
The Kansas City Chiefs used the bye week to prepare for the Oakland Raiders, and dominated their AFC West foe on Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders did battle on Sunday in a classic AFC West matchup. The Raiders came into the game at 4-1 on the young season, taking sole possession of the division with the Denver Broncos loss to the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football. Playing through pounding rain during the first half the two teams went to halftime with the Chiefs leading the Raiders, 13-10.
The Raiders got the party started early, scoring a touchdown on the first possession of the game. Derek Carr capped a 7-play, 46 yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown to Andre Holmes to put the Raiders up 7-0. From there on, it would be all Kansas City, as they reeled off 13 straight point before Oakland kicked a field goal with no time remaining in the half.
Chiefs running back Spencer Ware scored one a 2-yard touchdown after Kansas City got the ball back due to a Carr interception. Fellow back Jamaal Charles scored the Chiefs second touchdown of the first half, pounding one in from four yards out. It was Charles’ first touchdown of the season, after returning from a torn ACL last week. Having Charles back definitely gives the Chiefs an added boost on the offensive side of the ball.
The second half started with the Chiefs being in complete command, scoring ten straight points to move out to a 23-10 lead. Kansas City defensive end Dontari Poe took a swing pass from Alex Smith and plowed into the end zone from two yards out to put the Chiefs up 20-10. Cairo Santos’ 22-yard field goal extended the lead to 13, as Kansas City appeared destined to win their third game of the season.
Santos would hit another field goal in the fourth quarter, giving the Chiefs a two-score lead. The Raiders put together a nice drive after the field goal, driving the ball deep into Kansas City territory, but a strip sack by Tamba Hali essentially ended any chance of a Raiders come back. The win moved the Chiefs to 3-2 on the young season, while the Raiders dropped to 4-2.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Spencer Ware
Despite the added workload of starting running back Jamaal Charles, it was actually Spencer Ware who made the most of his opportunities on Sunday. Ware led the Chiefs in rushing, while picking up two huge receptions in the passing game. He once again proved that he can carry the load, rushing 24 times for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Ware and the Chiefs are going to be very hard to stop if they run the ball the way they did on Sunday. Playing in a downpour for most of the game, the Chiefs owned the line of scrimmage, rushing for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns. Ware’s play helped the Chiefs get right back in the thick of things in the AFC West
2. Kansas City Defense
The Oakland Raiders have one of the better young offenses in football, and their quarterback, is considered arguably the best young signal-caller in the NFL. That did not matter on Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs defense dominated the entire game. After allowing a touchdown on the Raiders first possession, the Chiefs held them to a field goal the rest of the way, leading the team to a huge AFC West victory.
The game was essential finished when Tamba Hali stripped Carr of the ball with seven and half minutes left in the game, giving the Chiefs the ball back with a 26-10 lead. Oakland had been putting together a nice drive, making it all the way to the Chiefs’ 20-yard line, but the turnover was the death nail in the game. In total, the defense had two sacks, an interception, and had five tackles for a loss.
3. Amari Cooper
Second-year wide receiver Amari Cooper was the lone star on the Raiders offense on Sunday, putting together one of his best games of the season. Despite not reaching the end zone, Cooper definitely made his mark on the game, catching ten balls for 129 yards. He continuously bailed the offense out with nice catches near the sideline, and was the only player on offense to actually bring their “A” game on Sunday.
Cooper tore up the San Diego Chargers in last week’s win, and now has 267 yards receiving over the past two weeks. The ten catches on Sunday are a season-high, and he has now gone over 100 yards in three of the Raiders six games. He continues to get better every week, and despite playing in horrible weather on Sunday, was able to dominate a very tough Chiefs secondary.
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Odds
The 4-1 Raiders actually are a 1.5 point home underdog against the Chiefs on Sunday. The over/under is set for 46.5, though if these two offenses are clicking, it could make that number seem very small.
Next Week
In Week 7, the Kansas City Chiefs head home to play host to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The Raiders hit the road for the first time in three weeks, travelling to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.