By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Ah, the good old days.
The days when the Raiders and Chiefs went toe-to-toe in smash mouth football and hard-fought games back in the last century. The days of Marv Hubbard and Len Dawson and Willie Lanier and Fred Biletnikoff.
Those memories of yesteryear were renewed Sunday when the undefeated Raiders hosted the undefeated Chiefs in a division showdown at Allegiant Stadium. They played a rough-and-tumble gridiron battle as both teams went back and forth clutching leads in a game eventually won by the Chiefs, 30-27.
The Chiefs came back twice in the second half to seize leads at 17-13, 23-19 and 30-19. A late Raiders fumble on a kickoff set up Chiefs’ superb runner Kenneth Walker’s 22-yard TD scamper to secure KC’s winning points.
So, after four games we have learned the Raiders will not go undefeated in 2026. The Chiefs and their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, showed their experience and poise and left Allegiant Stadium with 4-0 record. Fans left the stadium with the spirited atmosphere today to the music of Santana’s Black Magic Woman.
“Difficult loss at home,” Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins said after the game. “Proud of the way our team kept fighting. Disappointed right now. All we can do is respond . . . There’s a lot to build on.”
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It’s been a rough few years for the Las Vegas Raiders. Losses piled up. Coaches came and went. Fans wearing visiting colors filled many seats at Allegiant Stadium.
But on Sunday, things changed.
The Raiders already have as many wins this year as they piled up last season.
The difference is new head coach Klint Kubiak. He has the Raiders playing clutch situational football, cutting down on the mistakes, creating turnovers on defense and relying on a veteran signal caller who threw nine TDs in the first three wins. Plus, an awful offensive line in 2025 has been revamped into a solid unit anchored by center Tyler Linderbaum.
And there was a palpable buzz inside this domed stadium as the Raiders played a game of major significance.
The Raiders scored first on a well-executed pass play by Cousins, who threw a perfect TD ball to receiver Ian Thomas for 27 yards. The Chiefs countered with a short Mahomes two-yard TD throw to Tyquan Thornton.The atmosphere intensity inside the building was terrific, with the 60,000 or so fans split between Raiders black and Chiefs red.
A Matt Gay field goal gave the Raiders a 10-7 lead after they chewed up a lot of clock in the second quarter after the 15-play drive.
A gorgeous Mahomes pass completion set up a short Harrison Butker field goal and the division showdown was deadlocked at ten apiece.
A Cousins 17-yard completion to tight end Michael Mayer set up a Gay field goal at the first half buzzer and the Raiders seized a 13-10 lead going into halftime.
Kubiak to CBS at halftime: “Gotta be better, but you know what? We’re winning. We’re gonna win the game.”
The Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker, the defending Super Bowl MVP thanks to his Seattle Seahawks performance, ripped off a 77-yard run to set up a Mahomes eight-yard touchdown pass to Thornton ten seconds into the fourth quarter.
After KC seized the 17-13 led, Gay nailed 44-yard FG and the Raiders trailed, 17-16, with 11:12 to go in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs scored two touchdowns and the Raiders could not overcome a 30-27 deficit even though they showed spunk and moved from their own one-yard line to midfield in the game’s waning seconds.
Walker ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins completed 31 of 52 passes for 365 yards, with Brock Bowers snaring six catches for 86 yards.
The Raiders may have lost. But they are certainly competitive this season and there’s a distinct chance this team will compete for a postseason berth.
They are off to New England next Sunday to play the defending AFC champs, the Patriots — a team the Raiders actually defeated in the 2025 season opening game as one of their three wins last year.
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