The Raiders’ Collapse Was a Smoke Signal: 5 Chiefs Whose Dominance Just Certified Kansas City as the NFL’s Unavoidable Elite.QQ
No negatives for the Chiefs this week.
Typically I select a handful of winners and losers following a Kansas City Chiefs game, but this week there were no losers to be found, except of course the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs dominated the Raiders from bell-to-bell, shutting them out 31-0. Kansas City’ offense move the ball at will, and Las Vegas simply had no fight on either side of the ball. Their record may not reflect it at the moment, but the Chiefs have returned to elite status. Here are my five biggest winners from Sunday.
The New York Jets MUST TRADE Breece Hall at the deadline
WR Rashee Rice
All eyes were on Rice as he made his return to regular season action after missing over a year with a knee injury and a suspension. Rice made his presence known immediately, catching two passes on K.C.’s opening drive, one of which went for a touchdown.
He finished the game with seven receptions on 10 targets for 42 yards and two TDs. There was no rust factor for Rice whatsoever, and he has already reestablished himself as a force within the Chiefs’ offense.
QB Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes has been on a tear over the past five weeks, completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,355 yards and 14 TDs, with just one interception during that span. On Sunday against the Raiders he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 200 yards and three TDs during a team’s first three drives of a game.
Mahomes finished the game with 286 yards and three TDs, completing passes to nine different receivers. Now that he has his full arsenal of weapons, Mahomes is playing as consistently well as he has since 2022. He won MVP that year, and is firmly in the running to win it again in 2025.
RB Brashard Smith
Smith has been given a bit more to do each week. He got his biggest workload of the season against Las Vegas, recording 14 carries for 39 yards, along with five catches for 42 yards. Part of that is because K.C. had the game well in hand, but it was good for him to get the work nonetheless.
Smith has made an impact as a pass catcher, averaging 8.7 yards per reception this season. The role he is carving out is reminiscent of what Jerick McKinnon’s was during his tenure with the Chiefs. With all the other weapons opposing defenses have to worry about, Smith should continue to have plenty of opportunities to make an impact out of the backfield.
K Harrison Butker
For the first time this season, Butker was perfect on all of his extra point and field goal attempts. He went 4-4 on PATs, and hit a 38-yard field goal during the third quarter. It was a bit of a windy day in K.C. on Sunday, making his performance even more encouraging.
Hopefully this is the beginning of a turnaround for Butker. He has quietly been a vital piece to the Chiefs’ dynasty, and will doubt be faced with more big kicks in the future. Butker potentially being back to form will complement the Chiefs’ high-scoring offense well.
