Antonio Pierce Reveals Raiders Heard Whistle on Late Fumbled Snap vs. Chiefs

There was some apparent confusion on the Las Vegas sideline at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pierce has led the Raiders to a 2–10 record in his first full season as the head coach in Las Vegas. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There was apparent confusion on the Las Vegas Raiders' sideline on a game-defining play in the closing minute of their 19–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Saturday that the Las Vegas sideline heard a whistle that would indicate the play was dead shortly after quarterback Aidan O'Connell fumbled a mistimed snap from rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson. That botched snap, recovered by the Chiefs, marked the end to the Raiders' potential game-winning drive and secured Kansas City's 11th win of the season.

Pierce also told reporters that the Raiders plan to send video of the final play to the NFL for review.

"Yeah, I mean, like we normally do, we do that every game," Pierce said [via ESPN's Paul Gutierrez]. "Typically, [we'll send] anywhere from three to five questions and then we'll get a letter within 24 to 36 hours & we'll read it and learn from it."

Antonio Pierce said "we heard a whistle on our sideline" on the last play of the game. Team will send a video to the league for review.

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) November 30, 2024

There was a penalty called on that play—an illegal shift violation on Las Vegas that was declined by Chiefs coach Andy Reid. The whistle that Pierce claims the Raiders' sideline heard would've stopped the play and given the ball back to Las Vegas after a five-yard false start penalty.

"Had the clock been running at the snap, then by rule an illegal shift would convert to a false start," a league spokesman said, via The Athletic. "Since the clock was stopped (from O'Connell's spike the previous play), an illegal shift is a live ball foul."

Although Pierce believes a whistle was blown to indicate a dead ball, the players on the field never mentioned that in their postgame sessions with the media. Powers-Johnson took full responsibility for the premature snap, and O'Connell shared a similar sentiment.

"Jackson did exactly what he should've done," O'Connell said. "I clapped too early. That's just how the football bounces sometimes; it didn't go our way. Super tough, but there's really nobody to blame but myself. That's probably the hardest part to swallow."

The Raiders, riding an eight-game losing streak after a 2–2 start to the 2024 campaign, return to the field next Sunday for a tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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