The Kansas City Chiefs traded for DeAndre Hopkins last week in hopes of sparking a sometimes stagnant passing game.
The results on Sunday weren’t overwhelming. But as they’ve been all season, they were good enough as Kansas City secured a 27-20 win over the Raiders in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs improved to 7-0 with the win to remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team. They won again with an offensive performance that frequently looked little like that of a two-time reining Super Bowl champion.
Kansas City opened the game with a 70-yard drive capped by a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Hopkins made his first catch as a Chief on the drive, a 13-yard grab on third down that kept the drive moving.
After the Raiders responded with 10 straight points, Kansas City answered with another touchdown drive that ended with a Mahomes pass to Travis Kelce in the end zone.
The touchdown was the first of the season for Kelce. It was also the first for Mahomes since a 17-10 win over the Chargers on Sept. 29. Mahomes failed to throw a touchdown in subsequent wins over the Saints and 49ers, a streak of 11 consecutive quarters dating back to the second quarter against the Chargers.
The Chiefs then failed to score on two third-quarter drives that ended with a punt and an interception, allowing a 2-5 Raiders team to keep things close. With Kansas City holding a 17-13 lead, the Raiders backed the Chiefs up to their own end zone, then forced a critical error by Mahomes.
With Raiders pass rushers bearing down in the end zone, Mahomes threw a pass that got tipped at the line and intercepted by safety Tre’von Moehrig.
The turnover set the Raiders up with first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. But they failed to capitalize.
A Chiefs defense that’s anchored Kansas City’s perfect start stopped three consecutive Alexander Mattison runs short of the goal line. It then came up with a fourth-down sack of Gardner Minshew to stop the Raiders’ scoring chance.
The Chiefs offense responded with a field-goal drive before Kansas City’s defense came up big again to help ice the game. Mike Pennel stripped Minshew on a sack, and Drue Tranquill recovered the ball for a turnover that set the Chiefs up inside the Las Vegas 40-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.
Five plays later, Mahomes threw his second touchdown of the day, this one to Xavier Worthy. The Raiders added a touchdown on their ensuing drive, but it was too little too late. The Chiefs recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock on another victory.
Mahomes finished the day completing 27 of 38 passes for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Hopkins caught two passes for 29 yards in his Chiefs debut. Kelce had one of his best games of the season with 10 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs tallied 334 yards of total offense.
Kansas City’s defense, meanwhile, held Las Vegas to 228 yards and sacked Minshew five times. It also produced a key goal-line stand and came up with the late turnover that helped ice the game.
