Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 19-17 Win Over the Las Vegas Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13, and there was plenty to take away from the Friday afternoon contest.

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders have met for some competitive battles in recent years, and a Black Friday matchup in Week 13 was no different. A back-and-forth outing saw the visitors put a scare into the home team late but thanks to a turnover by Las Vegas on its final drive, Kansas City emerged with another thrilling 19-17 win.

It's the 11th victory of the year for the Chiefs, and one that means a lot for the final stretch of the season.

With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Friday's game.

Improvement at left tackle can't happen soon enough

If there's one non-cornerback position the Chiefs have needed some assistance at this season, especially in recent weeks, it's left tackle. Rookie Kingsley Suamataia didn't pan out to open the year and once he got benched, Wanya Morris's play faded as time went on. Suamataia then failed again in relief of Morris, whose bone bruise seems to have bothered him as of late. That prompted Kansas City to bring in D.J. Humpries off the street, and it's sure looking like his debut is much-needed if he'll indeed take over as the club's starter.

Morris struggled immensely on Friday, committing a false start penalty on a third-and-long (with another one in the fourth quarter) and whiffing on multiple attempts to stop rushers. One of them was a third-and-goal in the red zone, which got him benched for left guard Joe Thuney. The second-year man, either compensating for his knee or simply lacking proper technique, is resembling Suamataia more by the week. He had a negative impact on the offense on several occasions and single-handedly altered drives in Week 13. Head coach Andy Reid didn't give away when the Chiefs plan to make Humphries active – he was a healthy scratch on Friday – but that timeline is a must-watch.

Thoughts on the returns of Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu

It's no secret that the Chiefs have struggled to stay healthy this season. They had a couple of key injuries carry into the regular season, and seemingly countless players have gotten hurt over the first 13 weeks of the year. Defensive end Charles Omenihu (ACL) was in the former category, with running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) falling under the latter umbrella. Luckily for Kansas City, both of them were activated in time for Friday's game and got out of it healthy. They also made the most of their limited snaps.

On offense, Pacheco had an explosive run that was easily the club's best by a halfback this year. Per Josh Dubow, his 34-yard scamper to get the Chiefs in the red zone was the team's first run of 20-plus yards by a running back. They were the last offense to log one this year. Pressure numbers aren't immediately available in the aftermath of the game, but Omenihu penetrated the pocket on a couple of occasions and made his presence felt on defense. Him being on the field gives Steve Spagnuolo and Joe Cullen more options, which include pushing defensive tackle Chris Jones to the edge (he had two sacks there in Week 13). The Chiefs' pair of returns didn't make or break Week 13's game, although they certainly left some room to look positively on the final stretch of the season.

Steve Spagnuolo's defense is as confusing as ever

Week 12's narrow win over the Carolina Panthers saw quarterback Bryce Young put up quite easily his best effort of the season. That led to many, including this writer, thinking out loud about the decline of Spagnuolo's defense. Following that Sunday victory, Kansas City was 28th in EPA/play and dropback EPA/play allowed dating back to the ankle injury of cornerback Jaylen Watson. Facing yet another bad offense, the Chiefs defense's performance was a mixed bag in Week 13.

Poor tackling and man coverage skills, as they have in recent weeks, reared their ugly heads on Friday. Everyone from nickel Chamarri Conner to cornerback Trent McDuffie and even safety Justin Reid got beat for big-time gains, and multiple others missed would-be stops to help Las Vegas' offense. Whether it's a Watson domino effect or something else to blame, the Chiefs continue to give up explosive plays despite being the NFL's best at avoiding that for most of the year. On the other hand, a look at the Raiders' point total (17) and last three drives (punt, missed field goal, turnover) reflects a defense that rose to the occasion like it has several other times. The process was so far from perfect on Friday, yet the result was acceptable thanks to some clutch plays in the final frame. Not many questions were answered in this one.

The Chiefs are heading back to the playoffs... again

Heading into Friday's game, Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs On SI highlighted that Kansas City had a chance to clinch a playoff berth with some help. Thanks to a Miami Dolphins loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, Reid's team needed just a Week 13 win to punch their tickets to the best part of the NFL calendar. According to Joe Ferreira, the win over the Raiders makes the Chiefs' non-divisional playoff clinch the first time a team has done so with five weeks left to play since 1998. Kansas City is back in the playoffs.

It also further contextualizes this current run of success for the Chiefs. Last week's win over the Panthers made it 10 seasons in a row with 10-plus wins, which is good for the third-longest streak in league history. Black Friday's victory over Las Vegas gives Kansas City its 10th playoff berth in the last 10 tries, extending football's longest active streak. The Buffalo Bills, who are the current top competition for the AFC's No. 1 seed, are five years behind until they clinch their 2024-25 spot. A lot is made of how Reid helped change the culture and direction of the organization – these are perfect examples of that.

Read More: D.J. Humphries Outlines Recovery from Injury, 'Interesting' Journey to Chiefs