The Las Vegas Raiders took a tough loss in Kansas City on Monday night in a game they probably should have won. Las Vegas looked like the better team most of the night, but even good teams can’t keep the Chiefs under wraps for an entire game. Plenty of players did well, some not so well. So, who balled out, and who needs to be called out?
Raiders vs. Chiefs: The Winners
Josh Jacobs
Jacobs picked right up where he left off in the last game, where he ran all over Denver. The Raiders’ bell cow back rushed 21 times for 154 yards and a touchdown, and also caught five passes for 39 yards. He was totally unstoppable in this game and, at this point, might be the best running back in the NFL.
Maxx Crosby
Crosby played like a madman yet again, and this time Chandler Jones played exceptionally well on the other side too. Crosby had four tackles, three for loss, and two sacks on Patrick Mahomes. He is a major reason the Raiders built a big early lead, and he should be considered a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.
Travis Kelce
Typically, when a receiving threat only gains 25 yards, he hasn’t had a great game. But Kelce was unguardable in the red zone and caught a whopping four short-yardage touchdowns. The Raiders apparently forgot he existed when game-planning for this game, but he won’t soon leave their minds again.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
MVS was a nightmare to cover for the Raiders’ cornerbacks. At 6’4″ with blazing speed, he led the Chiefs with 90 yards on six catches. He came through on third down and was a major reason the Chiefs were able to sustain drives. With Green Bay looking for receivers, why let this guy go?
Raiders vs. Chiefs: Losers
Darren Waller
It was another forgettable game for the Raiders’ highly-paid tight end. Waller only played a handful of snaps before suffering a hamstring injury and leaving the game. That put the Raiders in a tight spot with Foster Moreau not active for the game. Waller will need to play well after the bye week if the Raiders are to get back on track.
The Refs
What an awful night for the officials, to go with an embarrassing week. Fans were already upset about the phantom roughing the passer call on Tom Brady on Sunday, and then the refs called an equally egregious one on a sack of Derek Carr. This led to such a monumental outburst from a rabid KC crowd that the referees were visibly shaken, and they went on a penalty-calling spree against the Raiders, including an absurd defensive holding call on a missed field goal that gifted the Chiefs seven free points.
Mack Hollins
Hollins has been a reliable target for Derek Carr this season, but not on Monday. He caught zero passes on four targets. If Davante Adams gets suspended for his actions following the Chiefs game, Hollins will need to step up in a big way and be the guy he was in the first few weeks of the season.
The Chiefs’ secondary
While Hollins wasn’t very effective in this game, the Chiefs’ secondary had their hands full with Adams, who had 124 yards receiving and two long touchdown catches. The Chiefs had absolutely nobody who could guard him, and had he and Hunter Renfrow not collided, he surely would have had another catch in the final minute of the game, likely meaning a Raider victory. Adams is tough to guard in general, but the Chiefs looked out of their league trying to do so.
*Top Photo: Benjamin Hegar/Las Vegas Review-Journal
