The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Raiders 35-31 and these five players were the reason why the game went in KC’s favor.
Well, it wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but a win is a win. Throw in the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs winning this game basically puts a bow on them winning the AFC West for the fifth straight year.
It wasn’t easy getting the W in Las Vegas and the Raiders proved they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. That’s not easy for Chiefs fans to come to grips with, but let’s give props where props are due, okay? The Raiders played great on Sunday, but of course, I’m happy they lost and that the Chiefs are now several games ahead of them in the division.
Anyway, with an ugly win in the books, let’s take a look at the five players who helped make this victory possible. Let’s start with the player who simply did his job, but did so despite not having the most success this season.
5. Harrison Butker
It had been a tough go of it for Harrison Butker this season. The guy was still clutch when it came to field goal attempts, but he was really struggling with point-after attempts. Butker missed six extra points prior to this game and it’s safe to say that Chiefs fans will be holding their breath every time he goes to kick the extra point.
This week, however, Butker knocked through all five extra points, which had to be a huge confidence booster for the Chiefs kicker. Had Butker missed any of those, this could have been a completely different game, as the Chiefs only won by four. Missing one could have led to the Raiders instead playing it safe and going for a game-tying field goal with the final 20+ seconds.
Butker didn’t have to kick any field goals this week, but going a perfect 5-for-5 on point-afters was crucial for his confidence moving forward. That’s why he earned his spot on this list.