Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
As has been the case all season long, the Las Vegas Raiders found a way to lose the Week 13 game to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders showed some toughness in their 19-17 loss to the Chiefs on Black Friday but shot themselves in the foot on several occasions throughout the contest to thwart their bid to break their losing streak.
The biggest issue was three missed field goals by kicker Daniel Carlson, who also had a chance to take the lead with just over two minutes remaining but missed a 58-yard attempt.
Truth be told, he shouldnt have even been given the opportunity after missing two other attempts from 50-plus, but head coach Antonio Pierce felt that was the best course of action on a fourth-and-11 instead of going for it.
Even with the missed field goals, the Raiders still had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, but yet another self-inflicted wound ended Las Vegas upset bid.
Raiders vs. Chiefs ending, explained
With just 15 seconds remaining in the game and the Raiders on the 32-yard line and trailing by two points, Las Vegas center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball to quarterback Aidan OConnell, who clearly wasnt ready for it, which put the ball on the ground, allowing the Chiefs to recover.
There was some confusion after the play, as officials called the botched snap a backward pass, which was odd. The Raiders were also flagged for an illegal shift penalty that was declined after the Chiefs recovered the ball. The NFL explained why it wasnt a false start instead, which wouldve rendered the play dead.
Whatever the case may be, the mistake cost the Raiders a chance at a game-winning field goal.
On the surface, one could easily blame Powers-Johnson solely, but guard Dylan Parham appeared to tap JPJ to signal for the snap, so it may not be that cut and dry.
Making things more confusing, both Powers-Johnson and OConnell took blame for the botched snap after the game.
If you want to take it a step further, one could certainly argue that the offense shouldnt have been on the field in that situation to begin with. That decision is made worse by Pierces explanation for doing what he did. As it turns out, the Raiders running a play there didnt have anything to do with getting closer for Carlson.
With the loss, the Raiders fall to 2-10 on the season.
