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The Las Vegas Raiders came heartbreakingly close to an upset over the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, but a critical mistake in the final seconds sealed their 19-17 loss. The defeat marked the Raiders’ eighth consecutive loss, dropping them to 2-10 on the season.
A Chance to Shock the Chiefs
Facing the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Raiders, who were 13½-point underdogs, found themselves in a position to win. With 16 seconds left and no timeouts, Las Vegas had the ball at Kansas City’s 32-yard line. A third-and-3 situation placed the game within kicker Daniel Carlson’s range, despite Carlson missing earlier attempts from 56, 55, and 58 yards.
Head coach Antonio Pierce called for one more pass play, intending for quarterback Aidan O’Connell to throw the ball away, which would eat up more time before attempting a potential game-winning field goal.
But instead of executing the play, disaster struck.
The Botched Snap
With the Raiders lined up in shotgun formation and the play clock ticking down to 4 seconds, rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball unexpectedly. The snap hit O’Connell’s upper right arm and bounced loose, leading to a fumble recovery by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton.
Flags flew immediately, and confusion ensued. Initially, it appeared the officials would call a false start on the Raiders, which would nullify the play and result in a 5-yard penalty. However, after a brief huddle, referee Clay Martin announced an illegal shift penalty instead, which the Chiefs declined, ending the Raiders’ upset bid.
Postgame Reactions
Powers-Johnson took full responsibility for the botched snap, citing miscommunication with O’Connell.
“I thought he was calling for the snap, I snapped the ball,” Powers-Johnson said. “I’ve got to be better in that situation. We’re about to beat a really great team, and those miscommunications can’t happen. So I’m going to take full responsibility, and I’m going to put that loss on me.
“We didn’t come up short. I came up short.”
O’Connell, however, shared the blame. “I was looking out to my right to make sure guys were set, and I starting clapping to … get the ball,” said O’Connell, who made his first appearance since Oct. 20 because of a broken thumb on his right hand. “When I start clapping, that tells Jackson, basically, ‘Snap the ball.'”
Replays showed that O’Connell finished clapping two seconds before Powers-Johnson snapped the ball, which came immediately after right guard Dylan Parham tapped the center.
It was the first game where O’Connell and Powers-Johnson worked together. O’Connell, making his first appearance since Oct. 20 due to a broken thumb, had a strong outing, throwing for a career-high 340 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-35 passing.
Raiders’ Resilience
Despite the miscue, several Raiders players expressed pride in the team’s effort. Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who ended a four-game sack drought, questioned the officiating on the play.
“He was [calling false start]. I’m just saying, he was. I don’t know even what they called or whatever they said, but that’s the first thing I saw.”
Crosby said he couldn’t explain why the game ended the way it did.
“You can’t describe it,” he said. “It’s so disappointing for the guys because it’s like everyone out there is literally putting their life on the line. … We’re 13½-point underdogs. Nobody believes we can go in there and win, and we had them f—ing right on the ropes. So disappointing, to say the least. But I’m so proud of my teammates. I’m proud to call them my brothers.”
Coach Pierce echoed Crosby’s sentiment, emphasizing the team’s heart despite another loss.
“We came up short yet again. That’s the world champs,” Pierce said. “That’s twice now. … The record is what it is, but this is a team that’s prideful, that’s playing for one another. There’s no quit. There’s no putting their head down and chin down.
“I don’t know what you keep saying after losses, right? Keep battling. One thing I’m not going to take away is the effort and the pride and the way they compete.”
Looking Ahead
For the Raiders, the loss to the Chiefs encapsulates a frustrating season of near-misses and costly errors. While the playoffs are out of reach, Pierce believes his team’s competitive spirit will carry them through the remainder of the season.
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This report used information from ESPN.
