Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 30-29 Win Over the Raiders

Here are four takeaways from the Chiefs' Week 5 home matchup against the Raiders.

Divisional games are difficult to predict in the NFL and in the AFC West specifically, things can get even crazier. The Kansas City Chiefs witnessed that firsthand on the Monday Night Football stage against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Going down 17-0 at one point, the Chiefs came all the way back to take a second-half lead. With an opportunity to tie things up at 30 apiece late, Las Vegas instead opted to go for a two-point conversion that failed and left Kansas City with a one-point advantage. That decision ultimately came back to bite the visitors in the end, as it was the home team that rose to 4-1 on the season and is now clearly in the driver's seat in the AFC West. With the loss, the Raiders are now 1-4 on the year and have their playoff hopes either on ice or getting there very soon. 

Here are four takeaways from Week 5's game.

1. The Chiefs got beat in the trenches early on

Part of the reason why the Chiefs struggled on both sides of the football in the first half was due to their shortcomings up front. Defensively, they allowed Raiders quarterback Derek Carr to have over three seconds to throw per dropback in half No. 1 and be under pressure on just a fifth of those dropbacks. On the other end, Patrick Mahomes was pressured on six of his first 11 dropbacks. Credit to both Kansas City units for improving some throughout the game is due, but things simply weren't going well to start off Monday night's game. The Chiefs are banged up on their front line on offense and defense, which showed in a painful fashion against a tough divisional opponent.

2. And didn't matter because of Patrick Mahomes

Sometimes, even if elements of the game are working against you as an elite player, nothing can stop you from making your presence felt in a major way. That was the case for Patrick Mahomes against the Raiders, as he did a masterful job navigating a less-than-stellar pocket in the first half and made several terrific plays in the second half when given time. After giving the Chiefs the lead late in the third quarter, he also let everyone in attendance know that he was amped up: 

Mahomes is fired up

“I’m here.” 🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/ovwaegGtH7

— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) October 11, 2022

Kansas City needed a great performance from Mahomes in order to scratch and claw their way back into Week 5's game, and that's exactly what they got down the stretch. Mahomes hasn't been perfect this season but with an improved maturity in his game and the same ability to do what almost all other quarterbacks can't, he's playing extremely well with an offense that is still finding its footing a bit. He deserves plenty of credit for how he played on Monday. 

3. Kansas City had a pair of unexpected heroes on offense

Speaking of Mahomes, he's mentioned time and time again dating back to the offseason about how every week could feature a different receiver stepping up and having a big day on offense. Against the Raiders, that player was Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The offseason free agent acquisition recorded season-highs in both catches and yards, continuing to establish a rapport with Mahomes. In the backfield, Jerick McKinnon brought plenty of juice on several run plays and also had a great blitz pickup on a touchdown pass. Kansas City's depth was tested on Monday, and it showed up in a major way. The new-look, by-committee approach worked in Week 5. 

4. Old Travis Kelce is still clearly elite

Travis Kelce turned 33 years old five days before the Chiefs' Monday night matchup at Arrowhead, which would lead many to believe that it's time for him to start slowing down. While the future Hall of Famer did play through some pain last season and may have lost a single step in terms of top-end speed, his overall play is just as good as ever. With a career-high four touchdown receptions on one of the biggest weekly events in all of sports, the world once again played witness to Kelce's greatness. With a whopping seven touchdowns through just five games this year, he's now on pace for a career-best mark in that category. Nothing Kelce does at this point should be surprising, as he simply continues to prove his doubters wrong.