KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Las Vegas didn’t take a victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium before heading to the airport this Sunday, not after getting hammered 48-9 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the most-lopsided result in the rivalry's history.
The Raiders did have a team meeting on the arrowhead logo at midfield before the game, but that show of bravado seemed to backfire.
“I found out about it postgame at an on-field interview,” said safety Tyrann Mathieu, who had five tackles and an interception. “... But it doesn’t really move me. I don’t think champions really act in that manner.”
The Chiefs (9-4), who have won six straight games and remain atop the AFC West, seized control on the first play of the game and never looked back, out-gaining the Raiders 372-290 in a thorough domination in every facet of the game on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Las Vegas (6-7) circled the stadium in celebration of an upset win in October 2020 at Kansas City at the direction of former coach Jon Gruden but likely couldn’t get out of town fast enough on this occasion.
Meanwhile, Arrowhead Stadium blared "The Wheels on the Bus" nursery rhyme as fans filed out.
The Chiefs played “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round” over the in-stadium PA after the largest win ever against the Raiders. pic.twitter.com/O90itTYGrA
— Tod Palmer (@todpalmer) December 12, 2021
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he didn’t hear the song after the game, but he hadn’t forgotten last season’s victory lap.
“Definitely, we didn’t want them winning here again, and we went out there and handled business,” said Mahomes, who finished 20 of 24 for 258 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The win was the fourth time in the last seven meetings the Chiefs won by at least 27 points against the Raiders.
It was the most-lopsided win in the rivalry’s 126-game history — breaking the previous record set in a 42-7 Chiefs win on Nov. 8, 1964, and matched in the Raiders’ 41-6 win on Dec. 22, 1968, in the AFC Divisional playoffs.
Kansas City has now won 13 of the last 15 games in the rivalry and improved to 15-3 against Las Vegas since coach Andy Reid’s arrival before the 2013 season.
The defense, which forced five turnovers that led to 28 points and has allowed exactly nine points in three straight games, got the Chiefs off to a perfect start.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed swiped the ball away from Josh Jacobs on a stretch play to the left.
Cornerback Mike Hughes, who started in place of L’Jarius Sneed, scooped up the fumble and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead only 17 seconds into the game.
“What a way to start a game,” Reid said. “That doesn’t happen every week. … That was kind of a big deal.”
Kansas City played without Sneed, who missed the game to be with family after his brother’s murder back home in Louisiana.
The Chiefs’ offense went three-and-out on the opening drive but got untracked and steam-rolled to four consecutive touchdowns for a 35-0 lead from there.
“It’s always good to get a fast start like that,” said Hughes, who made a team-high nine tackles with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. “I think that was huge for our success today. We jumped on them quick, and I think that fueled everybody and got the team flowing.”
Mahomes fired a 23-yard touchdown to running back Darrel Williams for the first of those touchdowns.
Williams, who had his first career 100-yard receiving game in November at Las Vegas, soared like Superman over a Raiders defender into the end zone.
Fellow running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire capped the next drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, while wide receiver Josh Gordon found the end zone for the first time since 2019 and first time with the Chiefs one drive later.
Gordon hadn’t scored since the 2019 season opener, a 20-yard pass from then-New England quarterback Tom Brady in a win against Pittsburgh.
The Chiefs’ defense forced two more turnovers during that stretch, including an interception by safety Tyrann Mathieu to set up the 1-yard touchdown pass to Gordon.
On Las Vegas’ next drive, Hughes poked the ball free from wide receiver Hunter Renfroe and Mathieu recovered the fumble at the Kansas City 38-yard line.
Edwards-Helaire tacked on another TD, this one from 6 yards out, for a five-touchdown lead.
Las Vegas didn’t get on the board until the final play before halftime with a 26-yard Daniel Carlson field goal.
Kansas City answered on the opening drive of the second half with a 54-yard Harrison Butker field goal, his franchise-record sixth from longer than 50 yards this season and the 19th of his career.
Nick Lowery owns the Chiefs record with 20 career field goals from at least 50 yards out.
Renfroe, who racked up 117 yards on 13 receptions, scored the Raiders’ first touchdown late in the third quarter on a 4-yard pass from Derek Carr.
Kansas City tacked on a 37-yard Butker field goal and a 51-yard Derrick Gore touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Hughes, who led the team with nine tackles and two forced fumbles, contributed to a bookend turnover, punching the ball away from Zay Jones with under two minutes to play. Safety Juan Thornhill recovered to preserve the first 48-9 win in NFL history, according to NFL Scorigami on Twitter.
