Andy Reid Says Raiders Gave Chiefs a "Wake-Up Call"
The Las Vegas Raiders hit the road on Christmas Day to battle the Kansas City Chiefs in what would be one of the Raiders' best performances in recent memory. After losing to the Chiefs in six of their previous seven games, the Raiders would shock them with a dominant performance.
In that game, the Raiders defense would score two defensive touchdowns, matching the point total quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs could score altogether that day. The Raiders held one of the best offenses in the National Football League to arguably one of their worst games.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid spoke about how much the Chief's most recent matchup against their division foe helped spark his team toward the end of the season. Reid credits Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce with preparing his team for the defending Super Bowl champions.
"I think that was a good wake-up call for us," Reid said. "They came out with great emotion. Antonio [Pierce] had them ready to go. But that emotion was the thing that jumped out at you that they played with."
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The game was a milestone for both teams. It helped motivate the Chiefs down the stretch, and Las Vegas' win was a pivotal part of Pierce's campaign to become the Raiders' permanent head coach.
"I think it gave our guys a nice little, for [lack of] a better term, a wake-up call that we need to step things up here, that things aren't just going to fall in our lap," Reid said. "And so, we're taking everybody's best shot, and here's a team that went through some adversity, and they stepped up and were able to present themselves like they did."
"We were able to learn from it and move on. I felt all along, though, we had the ability to do that. We just, like I said, we needed a little kick in the tail there."
Rarely does a regular season game end up being such an important game for both teams involved. The Raiders' Christmas Day game against the Chiefs is one both teams agree was arguably one of the most meaningful games for both teams this season.
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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