KC Chiefs: Good, Bad, Ugly VS Oakland In Season Finale

The Good: Defense

It astounds me that even without stud outside linebacker Justin Houston, that this team can still produce on defense. They did just that on Sunday, making Derek Carr‘s life an absolute living hell. Carr was sacked six times and picked off once in what looked to be a frustrating day for the former second round pick.

The defense held the Raiders offense to just 205 yards on the day, and prevented Carr from throwing down the field. He only tossed for 157 yards, completed 21/33 of his passes, and had the one interception in the end zone.

Hopefully, this dominant defense sticks around for the playoffs because it has been the team’s saving grace during the win streak.

It literally seemed like Carr was being sacked on every other play, and with six sacks, it’s safe to say he’s in no hurry to play the Chiefs again anytime soon (lucky for him, the season is over for the Raiders so they won’t have to).

All six sacks came from six different players: Tyvon Branch, Mike Devito, Dee Ford, Jaye Howard, Ron Parker, and Frank Zombo. It was amazing to see this defense flourish without star linebacker Justin Houston.

I think one of the most underrated plays in the game was at the end when Derrick Johnson and Sean Smith literally pulled Mychal Rivera away from the sideline so that the clock kept running. Carr didn’t have enough time to get the snap off, and the Chiefs won their tenth straight.

Hopefully, this dominant defense sticks around for the playoffs because it has been the team’s saving grace during the win streak.

Next: Limit those mistakes, mmmkay?