Finally! Monday Night Football finally delivered a game worth talking about. In a divisional matchup, the Las Vegas Raiders hopped on a plane to visit the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Week 5 in the NFL did not disappoint, and MNF delivered a nail-biter as both teams battled it out on the gridiron.
MNF Game Recap
The Raiders were the first to put points on the board with a touchdown by Davante Adams on a 58-yard pass from Derek Carr. That’s a great start for a team who entered this game 1-3 and has now faced all of their divisional teams in just the first five weeks of the season.
The Raiders went on to score another touchdown with an easy one-yard run into the end zone by Josh Jacobs. Kicker Daniel Carlson kicked both successful extra points after each touchdown and added a three-point field goal with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
With the Raiders up 17-0 in the second with five minutes left until the half, all looked like sunshine and rainbows.
We all knew it wouldn’t last. There was absolutely no way that the Patrick Mahomes’ led Chiefs would allow the 1-3 Raiders to send them into the locker room with a goose egg on the board.
Mahomes finally answered back with a one-yard throw to tight end Travis Kelce to make the score 17-6. Matthew Wright kicked the extra point, and away we go.
The Raiders marched the ball back down the field but couldn’t put the rock in the end zone for six and, instead, gave the ball back to Daniel Carlson, who kicked a field goal.
Halftime couldn’t come soon enough for those of us who have children watching the game. There was a questionable defensive roughing the passer penalty given to the Chiefs. Defensive tackle Chris Jones broke through the line and performed what looked like a typical strip tackle.
The refs saw differently and served the penalty, resulting in a first down for the Raiders. The crowd went wild and started chanting profanities in unison that resounded through the already infamously loud stadium.
As time expired to end the first half, Wright attempted a field goal where he would successfully get the ball through the uprights for a career-long kick of 59 yards. He also set the career-long field goal at Arrowhead Stadium. That ended the crowd’s booing and profanities and sent both teams to their respective locker rooms to cool down and put together a game plan for the second half.
Mahomes-ing the Second Half
The third quarter belonged to the Chiefs and Travis Kelce. The Raiders were scoreless as they watched Kelce score his second and third touchdowns of the game, putting the Chiefs up 20-24 by the end of the quarter.
We all watched as Patrick “Mahomesed” the Raiders and the Chiefs got to work. The fourth quarter kept everyone on the edge of their seats as both teams traded successful scoring opportunities.
It was a close game until the end. A failed two-point attempt by the Raiders followed a beautiful 48-yard pass from Carr to Adams. The remainder of the fourth was scoreless, and the Chiefs turned the game in their favor, winning 30-29.
The Raiders had an embarrassing final drive where Adams and Hunter Renfrow plowed into each other. That play put a nail in the Raiders’ coffin, and they handed the ball back to the Chiefs to take a knee. Game over.
There were a couple of stars of the show, but most notably, Josh Jacobs. He rushed for 154 yards over 21 carries and a touchdown. He also had one reception for 39 yards. It seemed like he always had the ball in his hands, breaking tackles and stomping down the field.
He had his breakout game last week against the Broncos but had a slow start to his season, with the first three weeks yielding an average of 11.37 fantasy points per game. However, last week he had 28 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns and put up 37 fantasy points. He likely can’t maintain that momentum, but next week’s bye week will provide him with some much-needed rest.
Key Stats
- Derek Carr: 29-30, 241 yards and two touchdowns
- Josh Jacobs: 21 carries, 154 yards, one touchdown
- Davante Adams: three receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns
- Patrick Mahomes: 29-43, 292 yards and four touchdowns
- Jerrick McKinnon: eight carries for 53 yards
- Travis Kelce: seven receptions for 25 yards and four touchdowns
Takeaways
The Raiders are heading into their bye week. They’ll take a break to rest and refresh. Darren Waller left the game after the first six plays with a hamstring injury. All fantasy football managers will keep their fingers crossed that he heals and is ready to hit the field in Week 7 against the Houston Texans.
They need to focus on icing the cake and putting a W in the win column. They’ve been close but not close enough and fall apart during key moments. Last night’s game was a perfect display of that behavior.
The Chiefs just need to keep being the Chiefs. However, they’re facing the Buffalo Bills next week, which should prove to be a challenge. However, they have all of their key players healthy and ready to roll. Both teams enter Week 6 with matching 4-1 records, and it’ll be a battle of quarterback vs. quarterback.
That’s it for me this week. I’ll be here next week with another AFC West divisional game when the Denver Broncos travel to Los Angeles to play with the Chargers. Unfortunately, I’ll likely have both eyes closed during that game, but I’ll take notes to share.