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LAS VEGAS — The Kansas City Chiefs knew they needed to clear this type of hurdle at some point this season, one that required them to orchestrate a comeback victory.
Inside Allegiant Stadium, the Chiefs ran just seven offensive plays Sunday before they started their third drive. At that point, the Las Vegas Raiders, their archrival, held a two-touchdown lead, a surprising start for both teams.
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The situation forced the Chiefs to produce their best concentration, their best execution, their best complementary collaboration between offense and defense.
In a 42-minute stretch, the Chiefs summoned a swift rally, turning a potential lackluster performance into a much-needed 31-17 comeback win, the type of victory they hope will propel them into being the consistent contender they strive to be the rest of the season.
“Honestly, it’s all on whether or not we don’t hurt ourselves,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “That was the big emphasis going into this week. You didn’t see very many penalties and turnovers. If we eliminate that, we’ll be just fine.”
WATCH OUT FOR JWAT. pic.twitter.com/cn2BKuMVKU
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 26, 2023
Before this season, the Chiefs were known for their thrilling comebacks. Patrick Mahomes, the league’s most talented quarterback, executed rallies from double-digit deficits almost routinely. The Chiefs’ two Super Bowl victories in the past four years featured memorable second-half turnarounds.
But before Sunday, the Chiefs trailed by two scores in only one game, their loss last month to the Denver Broncos, a day when Mahomes played through flu-like symptoms and the offense offended coach Andy Reid by committing a season-high five giveaways.
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This time, the Chiefs (8-3) responded better to their second-biggest deficit of the season. Mahomes led his teammates to three consecutive drives that ended in a touchdown.
“Pat had a beautiful day,” Reid said of Mahomes, who finished with 298 passing yards. “A couple (touchdowns) and no turnovers.”
This is vintage @PatrickMahomes 🔥
📺: #KCvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/1dOevJjoZZ pic.twitter.com/sGnauFLCh0
— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2023
Mahomes’ first completion during that sequence established his strong connection with Kelce, a short pass that led to a 12-yard gain.
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“It jump-started the entire offense,” Mahomes said. “He’s going to make an impact on the game, even if he’s going to be double-teamed.”
Although Kelce never touched the ball again on the drive, the Chiefs reached the end zone because the rest of the skill-position players — including running backs Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, receivers Skyy Moore and rookie Rashee Rice, and tight end Noah Gray — made positive contributions.
By having fewer penalties and not as many dropped passes as in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs offense showed it’s capable of producing explosive highlights if the unit has crisp execution.
“I thought, for the most part, guys around (Kelce) made stuff happen whenever they did double-team him,” Mahomes said. “That takes teams out of that, and that’s when you can get the ball back to him. Teams are going to continue to double him in big situations, and we’re going to have to continue to prove that other guys can make those big plays.”
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Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy also called one of their most creative plays of the season to get Kelce wide-open just before halftime, a highlight that led to the team’s second touchdown. Mahomes tossed the ball to Pacheco, who flipped it to receiver Richie James, who tossed the ball back to Mahomes, confusing the Raiders enough for Kelce to catch Mahomes’ pass for a 23-yard gain.
“It’s a hungry group over there that rallies to the ball,” Kelce said of the Raiders. “You’re trying to get them to think it’s a reverse and sneak somebody out the backdoor.”
We're in Vegas, of course we had a trick up our sleeve 😉 pic.twitter.com/I42bpHh3ea
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 26, 2023
On defense, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made one of the game’s biggest adjustments when he stopped blitzing rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. The Raiders (5-7) were successful early because O’Connell completed 10 of his first 11 passes, many of them short completions against the blitz with his receivers running crossing routes. Running back Josh Jacobs produced the Raiders’ longest play, a 63-yard touchdown run that included him stiff-arming safety Mike Edwards while sprinting to the end zone.
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Once the Chiefs played a more traditional style of defense, and improved their tackling in the open field, the Raiders scored just three points after halftime.
“We started to get a rhythm and we could tell where they wanted to run the ball, who they wanted to get the ball to,” linebacker Willie Gay said. “It’s a beautiful thing, man. You get three-and-outs and the offense scores.”
When the Chiefs established their own double-digit lead, Spagnuolo returned to his aggressive style, calling a few blitzes to create pressure on O’Connell on pivotal third-down snaps that ended in incompletions. The Chiefs have not allowed more than 24 points in a game this season. They have not allowed more than 20 in a win.
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The defense was rewarded, too. Snapping a three-game streak in which the team didn’t score in the second half, the Chiefs generated an efficient offensive effort by scoring 17 points after halftime.
“Over the years, the offense has been so good, and we’re so used to Pat scoring 30 points a game, Travis having 80-100 yards a game,” pass rusher Chris Jones said. “We’ve been so spoiled with that as a team.
“As this offense continues to play, they’re going to continue to get better, young guys are going to continue to step up and we’re going to get back in that rhythm of Pat scoring 30 points. We’ve always had belief in those guys.”
Rashee Rice can't be caught! TD @Chiefs
📺: #KCvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/1dOevJjoZZ pic.twitter.com/cwMKdX58cp
— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2023
One of the youngest players who excelled against the Raiders was Rice, who led the Chiefs with eight receptions for a career-high 107 yards. Without receivers Kadarius Toney (ankle) and Mecole Hardman (right thumb), Mahomes further solidified his chemistry with Rice, targeting him a game-high 10 times.
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On a third-and-6 snap early in the fourth quarter, Reid and Nagy trusted Rice with a play designed for him. With the Raiders in zone coverage, Rice ran a shallow crossing route, catching the ball before reaching the line to gain for the first down. But Rice displayed his speed to run away from cornerback Nate Hobbs, gaining 34 yards after the catch for an impressive 39-yard touchdown. Rice also received a well-timed block downfield from receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Mahomes and Kelce were the first to congratulate Rice in the end zone.
“We took a step in a positive direction,” Mahomes said. “Now let’s continue to do that throughout the rest of the season.”
(Photo: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images)
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