Busters
Jack Del Rio, Ken Norton Jr, Bill Musgrave
I couldn’t single out any one coach in this instance. This was a complete collapse. They just weren’t ready for the Chiefs in any phase. If we give credit to Andy Reid for his great record following a bye week, then it’s only fair we look to Del Rio on the other side of things. Not to mention going for it on fourth and 5 from the Kansas City 32 cost the team a chance at a much needed three points.
For an idea of how bad the defense was, you need only look at the numbers put up by Alex Smith and Spencer Ware. Smith completed all but three of his passes. He completed 19 of 22 passes for a franchise record 86% completions. Ware had a career high 131 yards rushing and a touchdown on 24 carries (5.5 ypc).
Then there was the play in the second quarter where somehow Khalil Mack ended up matched up with wide receiver Albert Wilson. It resulted in a 26-yard reception to put the Chiefs in first and goal at the four-yard-line. They scored a touchdown on the next play. The third touchdown was also poorly matched up. Del Rio said they expected the Chiefs to run the play to Dontari Poe and just didn’t have enough “beef” to keep him out. Partly because the biggest beef on the team (Dan Williams) nowhere near the play.
While the defense was victimized basically the entire game, the offense actually had a couple moments in the first half. The opening drive touchdown and three drives into field goal range. Unfortunately only once did that result in points as one field goal (52) would be missed, and another they would go for it instead.
The second half was where we saw the Chiefs make a halftime adjustment to take leading receiver Amari Cooper out of the game. Whatever they did worked like a charm, because taking Cooper away apparently left the Raiders offense dead in the water. They would pick up a total of 93 yards of offense in the second half while converting just one third down.
Derek Carr
After that first drive, we were all expecting the onslaught to continue. It did not. The second possession lasted just two plays, with Carr throwing for Michael Crabtree on a go route, only to toss a high arching ball that was well short and picked off by Marcus Peters. It’s hard to say exactly what happened on the play. Del Rio said perhaps they were asking too much of him under the wet conditions and Carr simply said “no excuses.” The Chiefs took over and drove for a game-tying touchdown.
In his attempt to respond, Carr missed a wide open Amari Cooper, and held onto the ball too long which resulted in Kelechi Osemele being called for holding. The next play, he lined up in shotgun and bobbled the snap. DeAndre Washington recovered it for a four-yard loss and suddenly it was 2nd and 24. In 3rd and 19, he got back 13 of those yards, and Janikowski would miss the 52-yard field goal attempt.
The next drive, at the Kansas City 32, the Raiders went for it on fourth and 5. Carr’s pass sailed well over Seth Roberts’ head along the left sideline for the turnover on downs. Carr got one more shot before the half and did well to move the ball into scoring position and spike it with one second left to allow Janikowski to add a field goal heading into the half.
When he got the ball back in the second half, the Raiders were down 20-10. He began by overthrowing Cooper, and then on third and two had all kinds of open field to run for the first down and instead overthrew DeAndre Washington. Another three-and-out was to follow, and then a five-play series that had him throw a ball right into the hands of a linebacker and was very fortunate it was dropped. Then he overthrew Cooper again on third down.
A promising drive in the fourth quarter ended with Carr fumbling the ball away trying to scramble. With 7:14 left, up 16, the Chiefs ran on all but one play to drain clock. Carr threw a short pass to Jalen Richard that got him nailed by a linebacker for a loss, missed a wide open Clive Walford and finished it off by getting sacked on 4th and 14. An ugly end to an ugly day.
Bruce Irvin
I don’t think there was a player in this game who played more snaps and was less of a factor than Irvin. He had four solo tackles in the game. Two of them came after the Carr fumble which was when the Chiefs were just running clock to end the game. A third was a 2-yard run on third and one on the Chiefs first touchdown drive. He also gave up a 7-yard run and an 8-yard run on that drive.
To begin the third quarter, the Chiefs had just drove past midfield. Then Irvin didn’t seal the edge, allowing Spencer Ware to get outside for 45 yards to the 3-yard-line. They scored the touchdown a few plays later to go up 20-10.
The very next drive began at the Raiders 36-yard-line after a big punt return. They got 30 of those yards on one play to the man Irvin was supposed to be defending. Again it was Ware. This time it was a pass into the flat. First Irvin fell down. When he got up, he ran out into coverage, not even noticing Ware wide open. Ware caught the short pass and went 30 yards to put the Chiefs in first and goal at the 6-yard-line. They would eventually settle for a field goal and a 23-10 lead. Damage done.
Karl Joseph
Sometimes leading the team in tackles isn’t enough. And most times when a defensive back leads the team in tackles, that’s not a good thing. The Chiefs’ first touchdown drive began with a 21-yard catch by tight end Travis Kelce who was open because Joseph bit on the play action fake and let Kelce run right by him. It was the longest play on the drive that ended with the Chiefs tying the game at 7-7.
The biggest play on their third touchdown drive was a 45-yard run on which Joseph was tasked with stopping the run should it bounce outside and he was blocked out the way. Their final scoring drive, he gave up an 11-yard catch on 3rd and 3. Then on the following drive, Joseph allowed the Chiefs to continue to eat time off the clock by giving up a 9-yard catch on 3rd and 4.
Donald Penn, Austin Howard
The first run play of the day for the Raiders went for one yard due to Penn missing a block. Later in the first half, it was Howard who was eaten up to surrender a run stuff for a loss of three. But where they really got going was at the end, when the Raiders were in desperation mode.
It was Penn’s man who broke free from him to smack Carr as he attempted to scramble up the middle, causing Carr to fumble the ball away. Even though the game was essentially out of reach once the Raiders got the ball back, Penn and Howard made sure of it. On first down, Penn was called for holding. A few plays later, with the Raiders in 3rd and 16, Howard gave up a pressure which forced Carr out of the pocket to the right, missing a wide open Clive Walford to the left. He scrambled out of bounds short, setting up 4th and 14 from their own 25-yard-line. Howard then gave up the sack on Carr to officially end the Raiders chances.
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