The Kansas City Chiefs put together a dominant victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon to move to 9-4 on the campaign and maintain sole possession of first place in the AFC West.
Here are some quick notes about the game.
1. The offense racked up 35 points in the first half.
Kansas City raced out to a huge lead on Sunday, tallying 35 points before the Raiders even crossed midfield offensively. It marked the first time that Kansas City recorded 35+ points in the first half of a game since Week 3 of the 2018 season, and the Chiefs' 32-point lead heading into the break was their largest halftime advantage since 2004. Additionally, it matched the fourth-largest halftime lead in franchise history.
The performance culminated in the second-largest halftime lead for any team in a game this season, and as the game went on, the advantage proved to be more than enough.
2. Patrick Mahomes had a strong game.
Mahomes completed 20-of-24 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, leading Kansas City on as many touchdown drives (4) as he had incompletions. He spread the ball around to eight receivers in the contest, finding six different players on throws that gained double-digit yardage.
The five-year veteran also made some franchise history on Sunday, moving past Alex Smith for the third-most passing yards in a Chiefs' uniform (17,794). Mahomes now trails only Len Dawson (28,507) and Trent Green (21,459) in the franchise record books.
3. Tyreek Hill topped 1,000 receiving yards on the season.
Hill led the Chiefs in receptions (4) and receiving yards (76) in the game while recording some personal accomplishments in the process. The veteran pass-catcher surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on Sunday, notching the fourth campaign of his career with 1,000+ yards through the air.
The speedy Hill also set a new career-high in terms of receptions on the season with 90. Hill's previous high was 87, which he set in 2018 and later matched in 2020. His 90 receptions are also the most in a single season by a wide receiver in franchise history, topping the record that Hill shared with Jeremy Maclin (87 catches in 2015) prior to Sunday's game.
4. Clyde Edwards-Helaire tailed a pair of touchdowns.
Edwards-Helaire tallied the second multi-touchdown game of his career on Sunday, both of which have coincidentally taken place against Las Vegas. The second-year tailback got around the edge for a 5-yard score on the Chiefs' third possession and then was back in the end zone a bit later with a 6-yard score.
Fellow tailback Darrel Williams also contributed to the win, hauling in a 23-yard touchdown reception on Kansas City's second possession of the game. Both of Williams' receiving scores this year have occurred against the Raiders.
5. Josh Gordon caught his first touchdown as a member of the Chiefs.
Gordon snagged a 1-yard score midway through the second quarter, marking his first touchdown reception in the red and gold. It was his first trip to the end zone since 2019.
The veteran receiver finished the game with two receptions for nine yards and a touchdown.
6. The defense held the opposition under 10 points for a third-straight game.
The Chiefs' defense was outstanding once again on Sunday, holding Las Vegas out of the end zone until late in the third quarter. The Raiders went 4-of-11 on third down and were held under 300 yards of total offense, ultimately falling to Kansas City by the largest margin in the 62-year history of this rivalry.
Kansas City has now yielded fewer than 10 points in three-straight games and less than 18 points in six-straight contests, surrendering a grand total of seven total touchdowns since Week 8. The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL this season to hold opponents under 18 points in six-straight games.
7. Kansas City took the ball away five times.
One major component of that defensive success was the fact that the Chiefs forced five turnovers in the contest, and they didn't waste any time getting started. In fact, on the first play of the game, defensive tackle Jarran Reed punched the ball free from Raiders' tailback Josh Jacobs and cornerback Mike Hughes scooped it up for a 23-yard touchdown. It marked the first time since 2019 that a team scored a defensive touchdown within the first 30 seconds of a game.
In total, the Chiefs secured four fumbles and an interception in the game while becoming just the third team this season to record 5+ takeaways and surrender no more than one touchdown in a single outing. It was the first time that Kansas City forced 5+ turnovers in a game since Week 5 of the 2018 season.
8. Mike Hughes had a game to remember.
Hughes' performance, in particular, is worth pointing out. He was right in the middle of three of Kansas City's five takeaways, forcing two fumbles and recovering another for a touchdown. It was Hughes' first-career game with multiple forced fumbles.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu also had a strong game, recording an interception and a fumble recovery.
9. Coach Reid notched his 100th career regular-season win with the Chiefs.
Reid reached the century mark in terms of regular-season victories with the Chiefs on Sunday, joining Hank Stram (124) and Marty Schottenheimer (101) as the only coaches in franchise history to do so.
Of his 100 regular season victories, 39 have come against AFC West opponents, including 15 against the Raiders – the most wins against any single opponent during his Chiefs' tenure. The victory also meant that Reid moved to 9-0 in his career when facing the Raiders for a second time in a season.
10. It all helped Kansas City secure a ninth-straight winning season.
Reid has now guided the Chiefs to a winning record in all nine seasons that he's been in Kansas City. No other team has posted a winning season every year since 2013, and only the Seattle Seahawks (who currently own a 5-8 record) have a chance to join the Chiefs in doing so.
The Chiefs have now won six straight games, and exactly 50 days after falling to 3-4 on the campaign, Kansas City now sits at 9-4 and in control of their own destiny in the AFC West.
