Chiefs game report: Defense's goal-line stand turns tide as Kansas City stays perfect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes was picked off — again! — as he has been in all seven games this season.

It was Mahomes’ ninth interception of the season, which leads the NFL and is only five shy of the career-high he set last season (14).

The Kansas City Chiefs only led 17-13 at the time and were backed up to the goal line after back-to-back holding penalties against left tackle Wanya Morris.

Mahomes dropped back to throw on first down, but Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle John Jenkins collapsed the pocket and batted the ball into the air.

With that, the Raiders fans at Allegiant Stadium sniffed another upset.

Las Vegas overpowered Kansas City last Christmas at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the last time the Chiefs lost, and now the Raiders threatened to take the lead.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense refused to let it happen despite facing first-and-goal at the 3-yard line after Tre’von Moehrig’s interception return.

Defensive end George Karlafatis and linebacker Drue Tranquill stopped Alexander Mattison for a 2-yard gain on first down.

Karlaftis and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi stuffed Mattison again on second down.

Nnadi caved in the line of scrimmage on third down, forcing Mattison to the right where Tranquill and linebacker Nick Bolton, who had a team-high nine tacjles took him down for a 2-yard loss.

Las Vegas opted to go for it on fourth down, but Karlaftis grabbed Gardner Minshew as he tried to climb the pocket under duress. That allowed defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton to get home and snuff out the scoring chance with Kansas City’s third sack of the game.

“Unbelievable,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Offensively, we put the defense in a bad position, but we held up. As a defense, we came out and put our foot down and did a nice job there. That was important.”

Tranquill — who finished with six tackles, including three for a loss, and a fumble recovery — and Karlaftis, who also had a pass deflection and another QB hit, had sacks earlier in the game.

“Being able to do that and work together as a defense was huge for us,” Karalftis said of the goal-line stand.

The Chiefs’ offense took over at the Raiders’ 8-yard line and went on a 19-play drive that covered 87 yards and took nearly 10 minutes capped by Harrison Butker’s 24-yard field goal.

Defensive tackle Mike Pennel’s sack-strip fumble on the next drive helped the Chiefs ice a 27-20 victory.

Linebacker Leo Chenal also had a sack against Minshew.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy made the turnover hurt, something Las Vegas’ offense couldn’t do, with a 9-yard touchdown catch with 5 minutes remaining.

Las Vegas scored a touchdown right before the two-minute warning, but exhausted their timeouts. Noah Gray recovered the ensuing onside kick, which allowed Mahomes to kneel out the division win.

WE’RE GOING STREAKING!

Kansas City has won 13 consecutive games, including the postseason, which ties the franchise record.

It’s the third time the Chiefs, who improved to 7-0 and remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, have started a season with at least seven straight wins.

Previously, Kansas City started the 2003 and 2013 seasons 9-0.

Mahomes, who went 27 of 38 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, improved to 6-0 all-time in Las Vegas, including last season’s overtime win against San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII.

“I felt good about how we played today,” Mahomes said. “They have a good defense and I thought we did a good job of executing at a high level and getting a win at the end of the day.”

He is 32-5 all-time against the AFC West, including 19-1 on the road.

Mahomes reached 30,000 career passing yards in the win, hitting the milestone faster than any other player in NFL history.

“I didn’t even know about that until after the game, but obviously it’s an amazing accomplishment,” Mahomes said. “It speaks to the organization I’m in, it speaks to the people I have around me and the coaches I have around me and the players. It takes everybody. Being able to execute and get to that milestone is awesome, but we have a lot more to do.”

He improved 81-22 in 103 games as a starting QB, completing 2,540 of 3,815 passes for 30,075 yards with 227 touchdowns and 72 interceptions.

MAHOMES STARTS RED HOT

Mahomes completed all four throws on the first drive for 58 yards, including two passes to Travis Kelce for 24 yards and a 13-yard third-down completion to newly acquired DeAndre Hopkins.

But the pièce de résistance was a third-and-5 completion to Samaje Perine late in the drive.

Mahomes escaped the pocket to the right under pressure, drew a trio of Las Vegas defenders toward him, then lobbed a pass over the top for a 21-yard catch and run to Perine. It was vintage second-reaction creativity from the two-time NFL MVP.

Two plays later, Kareem Hunt plowed into the end zone on a 1-yard run for his fourth rushing touchdown in the last three games.

Mahomes finished the first half 19 of 24 for 192 yards, including a touchdown to Travis Kelce in the second quarter.

“Pat had a nice day,” Reid said. “... Trav had a big day, 10 receptions for 90 yards, and it was good to get DeAndre in there in the limited reps that he had in practice.”

NATIONAL TIGHT END DAY SHOWCASE

The Allegiant Stadium crowd got quite a treat for National Tight End Day — arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history, Travis Kelce, and arguably the next great NFL tight end, Raiders rookie Brock Bowers.

And the duo didn’t disappoint, even if Mahomes doesn't think Kelce appreciated the spotlight.

“He made a big-time catch and had a good game, but I don’t think he mentioned National Tight End Day one time,” Mahomes said. “He’s all about ball and all about winning.”

Kelce had a 25-yard catch and run on the game-opening touchdown drive and later found the end zone himself for the first time this season, snapping the longest regular-season touchdown drought of his career.

It was Kelce’s first regular-season touchdown since Week 11 last season against Philadelphia on Nov. 20, 2023.

“You ask anyone on the team — they would want Travis to score a touchdown more than he would want to score a touchdown,” Mahomes said. “That’s just the type of guy he is.”

Earlier in the drive, Kelce also caught his 115th career pass against the Raiders, breaking Tony Gonzalez’s NFL record for catches against the Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas franchise.

The score ended a 12-game regular-season drought without a touchdown, the longest such stretch in his career.

Kelce’s previous longest regular-season touchdown drought came in 2016, when he failed to find the end zone in Weeks 9 through 15.

Kelce finished with 10 receptions for 90 yards, while Bowers, the No. 13 overall pick from Georgia last spring, racked up five catches for 58 yards.

Bowers entered the week leading all NFL tight ends with 47 catches for 477 yards with a touchdown.

THRIVING ON THIRD DOWN

Las Vegas entered the week ranked second in the NFL in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 28.9% of the time.

The Raiders were allowing only 3.4 third-down conversions per game, but the Chiefs tossed that stat out the window, moving the chains on 12 of 16 third downs — an insane 75% clip.

“Nags (offensive coordinator Matt Nagy) had a great plan on third down,” Reid said. “The guys believe in what we’re doing there, and that’s a positive thing.”

INJURY UPDATE

Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson (concussion protocol) got knocked from the game early in the second quarter. He started Sunday in place of Jaylen Watson, who went on Injured Reserve after suffering a broken ankle last week.

Reid confirmed after the game that Johnson had a concussion.

Tight end Jody Fortson also suffered a knee injury on an onside kick in the closing seconds. His right knee appeared to buckle as he landed after jumping to try and corral the ball.

Fortson had to be helped from the field and wasn't able to put weight on his right leg.

"We'll do some work on that and see what that is," Reid said.

He acknowledged that Mahomes also got his ankle rolled up, "but he was fine as it went on," Reid said.

WAS TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE GAME?

Nope, T-Swizzle wrapped up a three-night stay Sunday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

We’re guessing that she is eager to return in a little more than three months because that would mean the Kansas City Chiefs are playing in Super Bowl LVIX on Feb. 9, 2025.

The only remaining U.S. dates for Swift’s "The Eras Tour" are next weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

After a weekend off, Swift wraps up announced tour dates with nine concerts in Canada between Nov. 14 and Dec. 8.

Swift, who has been dating Travis Kelce for more than a year, made it to three of the Chiefs’ first five games — wins against Baltimore, Cincinnati and New Orleans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — during a tour hiatus, but she’s been back to her day job in recent weeks.

Kansas City is 13-3 when arguably the world’s most famous woman is in attendance, including an eight-game win streak dating back to late last season.

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