Here's what stood out in Chiefs' win against the Raiders
Chiefs improve to 4-3 behind the strength of a dominant performance
There’s no such thing as perfect, but the Chiefs came close to it on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs stonewalled the Raiders throughout Sunday afternoon en route to a convincing 31-0 win.
How did the Chiefs do it?
Let us count the ways:
The Chiefs held an incredible 30-3 edge in first downs.
The Chiefs ran 77 offensive plays, while the Raiders totaled 30.
The Chiefs commanded time of possession, 42:08-17:52
The Chiefs amassed 434 total yards on offense, while the Raiders managed just 96.
The Chiefs put together scoring drives on their first five possessions consisting of nine plays, 17 plays, 16 plays, 11 plays and nine plays.
The Chiefs totaled three explosive plays, defined as plays of 20 or more yards, while the Raiders had none. Tight end Travis Kelce hauled in a 44-yard catch, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton snared a 39-yard catch, and tight end Noah Gray added a 28-yard catch.
Kansas City’s defense pitched a shutout.
Punter Matt Araiza didn’t record his first punt until early in the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs moving to mostly backups with the game out of hand.
Sunday provided such a dominating performance that quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave way to Gardner Minshew late in the third quarter.
“It was an awesome game,” defensive end Mike Danna told KC Sports Network in the locker room. “I feel like all three phases – special teams, offense, defense – they all exceeded expectations. Guys did their job, and it was a great game.”
Kicker Harrison Butker, who kicked a 38-yard field goal in the win, agreed.
“Pretty amazing game and we love having a home noon game and winning,” Butker told KC Sports Network. “It’s pretty awesome.”
The Chiefs now sit on a 4-3 record after a 0-2 start to the 2025 campaign.
Outside of the numbers, below are four areas that stood out.
WELCOME BACK
Wide receiver Rashee Rice made a glorious return to action after serving a six-game suspension to start the season.
And the Chiefs didn’t waste time getting him involved, early and often.
Rice wasn’t eased in at all, as the Chiefs appeared to give him a full workload from the first possession, where he logged five of the team’s nine snaps. He also capped off the opening 9-play, 92-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown catch.
Rice finished the game with seven catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 10 targets.
“He’s a great player,” tight end Noah Gray told KC Sports Network in the locker room. “He’s very talented and he helps us out so much on offense and all the different things he can do.
“So, very grateful that he’s back and we look forward to continue rolling with him.”
In the meantime, the Chiefs served notice to the rest of the league what this offense will look like the rest of the way, provided everyone remains healthy.
Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown, who also had a touchdown on Sunday, form a formidable trio alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, rookie Jalen Royals and Nikko Remigio.
MAGNIFICENT MAHOMES
Mahomes started off hot, completing 12-of-15 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns for a 146.5 passer rating through the first two possessions.
He didn’t slow down, as the Chiefs put the foot to the pedal on offense.
Mahomes connected with nine different receivers and finished the game completing 26-of-35 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns, good for a 126.6 passer rating. He added 28 yards rushing on seven carries.
With Sunday’s win, Mahomes is now 36-6 vs. the AFC West since he became the Chiefs’ full-time starter (13-2 vs. Raiders).
Mahomes, who turned 30 this year, also notched his 93rd career regular-season win, which surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (92) for the most regular-season wins every by a player under the age of 31.
SHUTTING IT DOWN
The Chiefs entered Week 7 ranked 19th against the run (119.2 yards allowed per game), but the statistics are a tad misleading.
Kansas City has shown a knack this season for taking away an opponent’s top running backs, which includes the likes of Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Travis Etienne, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Th Chiefs can now add standout rookie running back Ashton Jeanty to the list.
Jeanty entered the game with 424 yards rushing and three touchdowns, adding 73 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
He was arguably the only true threat the Chiefs had to worry about, and the swarming defense made him a nonfactor.
Jeanty finished the game with 21 yards rushing on six carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. He added a catch for 13 yards.
As a team, the Raiders totaled 25 yards rushing on 11 attempts (2.3 yards per carry).
CONCERNING INJURIES
While the Chiefs secured a win, the team unfortunately couldn’t escape the injury bug.
Kansas City saw two starting offensive linemen – right guard Trey Smith (shoulder) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (shoulder) – depart the game with injuries.
Mike Caliendo replaced Smith at guard, while Wanya Morris stepped in at right tackle.
Still, the offensive line injuries are concerning, especially when considering the continued absence of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons.
Defensively, the Chiefs saw rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott leave with a knee injury.
Coach Andy Reid didn’t offer much information after the game on Norman-Lott, but the rookie’s status will be one to monitor closely in the coming days.
