The Postgame: Chiefs Trounce The Raiders 56-31
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) catches a 71 yard touchdown pass against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 56-31. (Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports)
Vitals
Score: Chiefs 56, Raiders 31
It was over when: Alex Smith hit Jamaal Charles on a 71 yard wheel route that snapped the Raiders 21 unanswered points. That was Jamaal’s 4th receiving touchdown and fifth total touchdown of the game. Wow.
Player of the Game: Do I even need to speak here? No doubt, Jamaal Charles is player of the game, week, month. Despite only having 20 rushing yards, Jamaal finished the day with 8 receptions for 195 yards and 4 touchdowns. He later punched in a goal line score to get to 5. According to NFL.com, Jamaal’s 195 yards receiving is third most for a running back in a single game since the NFL-AFL merger. He is quickly punching his ticket to Canton.
Fun Fact: The Chiefs scoring of 56 points is the highest by any team all season. They barely nudged out the 55 points scored by the Patriots back in week 9 against the Steelers. It was also the highest point total allowed in Raiders history. I don’t know about you, but I particularly enjoy that stat.
Three Postitives
1. The Offense
The Chiefs offense has come alive and it couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time. They topped the 28-point mark for the fourth consecutive game and scored 35-plus for the third time over that span. What was once viewed as the weakest part of this team is now what seems to be the strongest.
2. Takeaways
Though the defense gave up 3 consecutive touchdowns at one point during the game, they still managed to force 7 turnovers on the Raiders offense. Eric Berry was the Chiefs defensive player of the game, collecting two interceptions and taking one to the house. The Chiefs move to +21 on the season for turnover margin.. That’s insane.
3. Alex Smith
Smith has been the man. For anyone labeling him a “game manager,” STOP IT! (Ditka voice) Smith was almost perfect on the day completing 17 of his 20 throws for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns. Now I know Charles did most of the work, but you cannot deny what Smith has meant to this football team all season. He’s now at 3,160 yards passing, 23 touchdowns to only 6 interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 91. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 70 carries for 384 yards and a touchdown.
Three Negatives
1. Penalties
The Chiefs had several costly penalties in this game. KC finished the day with with 8 for 91 yards and most of them coming at the worst times, helping to keep the Raiders in the game.
2. 31
The Raiders managed to score 31 points despite their woeful day in the turnover category. Matt McGloin dropped a few dimes against the Chiefs secondary and it was frustrating to watch. The Raiders went on a 21-0 run to make it a four point game mid-way through the third quarter. The Chiefs were up 35-10 at one point and it seemed like that went up in smoke in a hurry. The Chiefs D did settle down and went back to forcing turnovers and making it ugly again for Oakland. So basically, it’s all good.
3. Zero Sacks
The Kansas City pass rush is still struggling to find its groove since the week 9 bye. The Chiefs didn’t touch McGloin today and that needs to change once they get into the playoffs and start facing better quarterbacks. Justin Houston can’t return soon enough, but at the end of the day, the defense still forced 7 turnovers and the Chiefs still put the beat down on their oldest rival.
GO CHIEFS!