The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to the postseason with another near-miraculous finish in a 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday.
The Raiders were in position for a potential game-winning field goal on their final drive before center Jackson Powers-Johnson’s ill-timed snap was recovered by Kansas City, sealing the victory. Las Vegas had the ball at the Chiefs’ 32-yard line with 14 seconds remaining prior to the play. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton ended up on top of the loose football.
Las Vegas was also called for an illegal shift on the play, though Kansas City declined.
Las Vegas signal-caller Aidan O’Connell and Jackson-Powers each took the blame for the mistake. O’Connell told reporters he clapped too early and that it was a clear sign for Jackson-Powers to snap the football, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
“We didn’t come up short,” Jackson-Powers said postgame, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “I came up short. … (That) shit’s on me.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce explained that the plan was to kill a few seconds and throw the ball away on the botched-snap play, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The Raiders spiked the ball on the play prior to the turnover.
The Chiefs become the first team to clinch a playoff appearance. They also tied the NFL record for the earliest any team has secured a postseason berth since the merger with five weeks remaining, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It also marks the 10th consecutive season Kansas City will be in the postseason. The Chiefs are attempting to be the first franchise ever to produce a Super Bowl three-peat.
Kansas City moves to 11-1 and has been no stranger to winning nail-biters this season. The Chiefs defeated the Carolina Panthers last week on a walk-off field goal, while a blocked field goal with no time remaining clinched their win against the Denver Broncos in Week 10. They also defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime in Week 9.
The Chiefs jumped out to a 16-3 lead versus the Raiders with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter but struggled to put away their division rivals. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-score game in the third frame before Tre Tucker’s 58-yard receiving score in the fourth quarter gave Las Vegas its first and only lead.
The Chiefs answered back with a field goal to retake the lead. The Raiders had another opportunity to go back up before their final drive, but Daniel Carlson’s 58-yard field goal was unsuccessful, his third miss of the day.
Mahomes finished the game with 306 passing yards, and one touchdown while O’Connell totaled 340 passing yards and two scores.
The rookie Bowers was the leading receiver in the contest, hauling in 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught four passes for 90 yards, while Travis Kelce put up 68 yards on seven receptions.
