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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
Back when the Las Vegas heat was cooking at 105 degrees every day there was so much hope in August.
On the first Saturday of January 2023, now there is a sense of disappointment with a touch of an anticlimactic feel to the Las Vegas Raiders’ last game of this underperforming season at Allegiant Stadium.
Under new first-year coach Josh McDaniels, the reputed play caller who was supposed to bring the New England Patriots’ winning ways to Las Vegas, the team that qualified as a postseason wild card club with a 10-7 record a year ago coughed up double-digit leads throughout the season on the way to a 6-10 record.
In fact, one of those blown leads happened against these Chiefs when Las Vegas grabbed a 17-0 lead in Kansas City only to lose, 30-29, and fall to 1-4 at the time. You might recall a disappointed and frustrated Davantae Adams shoved a media person out of the way when he was heading into the stadium tunnel after the game.
The Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler/McDaniels combo appear ready to move on from nine-year quarterback Derek Carr, an above-average signal caller who led the Raiders to two playoff berths in nine years.
But Carr was handicapped by lame defenses that gave up too many points for the Raiders to compete for a championship. Jarrett Stidham is the Raiders’ quarterback, coming off an excellent start last weekend when he nearly led Las Vegas to an upset of a playoff-bound San Francisco 49ers team.
The Raiders-Chiefs game at 1:30PM is the first NFL since Monday when emergency medical staff performed CPR to save the life of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin on the field after Hamlin tackled a Cincinnati Bengals player. Hamlin went from nearly losing his life Monday to facetiming with his Bills teammates Friday, uplifting everyone’s spirits across the NFL and country.
More than two hours before kickoff, there’s already a sizeable group of Chiefs fans in the corner of the stadium.
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As for the game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, one of the league’s gifted players and a perennial MVP candidate, toyed with the Raiders defense. He threw a 67-yard pass to Justin Watson and then did his patented shuffle pass to Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon for a two-yard touchdown pass.
The Raiders do enjoy the services of one of the best placekickers in the NFL. His name is Daniel Carlson and he’s very precise with his boots from long range. He converted a 54-yard field goal and the Raiders trailed, 7-3.
Fan Andy Coronado was pleased.
Ol’ Andy the bus guy could not have been too happy when Stidham was intercepted and the Chiefes methodically moved the ball into the end zone on a Ronald Jones II two-yard run.
Early second quarter: Chiefs 14 Raiders 3
The Raiders are based here in Las Vegas and their games are tourist attractions attended by many out-of-town fans rooting on their teams that play the Silver and Black. The lower and upper bowls were both full of red — much like last week when the 49ers fans took over Allegiant Stadium.
Attendance was announced at 62,136.
The first half moved along quickly. The intensity level and urgency reflected that of a preseason game. But the Chiefs needed to win to clinch the AFC’s best record at 14-3. But if the Chiefs play either Buffalo or Cincinnati in the AFC final, the game might be shifted to a neutral site. So, just maybe, the Chiefs have not seen the last of Allegiant Stadium and Las Vegas.
Today’s game is on ESPN and the cameras picked up on Raiders owner Mark Davis not looking too happy today.
And Raiders fans expressed their feelings.
The Chiefs then moved 98 yards on 12 plays, with Kadarius Toney running 11 yards for a touchdown.
Right before halftime: Chiefs 21 Raiders 3. A 45-yard field goal by Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at the half made it Chiefs 24 Raiders 3. The Chiefs carved up the Raiders defense for 243 yards in the first half.
Carlson booted a FG in the third quarter and the Chiefs led, 24-6, after three quarters.
Chiefs runner Isiah Pacheco scored from a yard out and KC moved ahead, 31-6. Raiders fans were leaving the stadium. It all made for less traffic on the drive home. A Stidham pass to Hunter Renfrow for 11 yards ended the scoring with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter.
And the season was soon over for the Raiders.
Final: KC 31 LV 13.
The Raiders finished 6-11, while the Chiefs clinched the top conference seed with a 14-3 record.