3 takeaways from Raiders’ loss to Chiefs: Season comes to an end
Three takeaways from the Raiders’ 31-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium:
1. It’s all over
A season filled with hope and expectations came to a merciful end Saturday, as the Raiders finished 6-11 and got an early start on the offseason a year after qualifying for the playoffs.
After the Chiefs marched down the field and scored five plays into the game, the Raiders mounted a promising drive only to be forced to settle for a field goal.
That set the tone for the rest of the day.
Kansas City, which finishes 14-3 and as the No. 1 seed in the AFC with another division title, scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives and left little doubt early about the ultimate outcome.
The Raiders finish the season on a three-game losing streak and having dropped four of their final five games.
They can now turn their attention on an offseason that is likely to be marked by the team’s first change in starting quarterback in nearly a decade.
In his final audition before free agency, Jarrett Stidham went 22 of 36 for 219 yards and turned the ball over twice.
He also ran for 50 yards, as he was consistently under pressure and had to escape the pocket.
The Raiders finish third in the division and will have a top-10 pick in the draft for the first time since 2019.
2. Dynamic duo
Davante Adams caught five passes for 73 yards to surpass 1,500 receiving yards for the second consecutive season.
Running back Josh Jacobs had reached that threshold before the game began.
That makes the Raiders the fourth team in NFL history to have a 1,500-yard rusher and a 1,500-yard receiver in the same season and the first since Mike Anderson and Rod Smith did it for the Broncos in 2000.
Jacobs, who was questionable to take the field Saturday, was limited to 45 yards on 17 carries, though it should be enough to carry him to the NFL’s rushing title.
Jacobs finishes with 1,653 yards and leads Cleveland’s Nick Chubb by 205 yards and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry by 224 in his quest to be the first Raiders player since Marcus Allen in 1985 to lead the league in rushing. Chubb and Henry each have one game remaining.
In addition to the hip and oblique injuries he’s been battling, Jacobs returned home to Oklahoma after his father underwent emergency heart surgery.
He made it back to Las Vegas on Friday night and decided to suit up after going through pregame warmups Saturday.
Adams achieved some milestones of his own, recording at least 100 catches for the fourth time in his career.
He’s the 12th player in NFL history to do that and one of eight to do it within their first nine seasons.
Adams is also the ninth player in history with multiple seasons of at least 100 catches and at least 1,500 yards.
3. Mahomes stays Mahomes
The only way the Raiders are ever going to make real progress in the division is to somehow find a way to slow the Chiefs, who won their seventh consecutive AFC West title.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense again showed how big the divide is by scoring 24 points in the first half to essentially put the game away before Sublime with Rome hit the stage for the halftime show.
Even though the Chiefs had struggled to find consistency coming into Saturday’s game, there were few signs of it in the game.
A 98-yard touchdown drive in the first half was the franchise’s longest since 2018, which also came against the Raiders.
With his 202-yard passing and 29-yard rushing performance, Mahomes set the NFL record for most offensive yards in a season and showed the Chiefs may again be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason.
He is 9-1 against the Raiders and has never lost a road game to a divisional opponent.
The Raiders won’t be in that tournament and will instead get an early start on figuring out who will play quarterback for them next season.
Until they can at least close the gap at the position, it will be tough to make any real progress.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
