This team put up a great fight in Kansas City. They almost pulled off a repeat performance last season after their Christmas Day upset. And that should have happened very well if the last game didn’t fail.

Both teams started slowly, with the score just 10-3 at halftime. Then the Chiefs pulled away and added a pair of field goals to make it a 16-3 game. But just when you thought the game was out of reach, the Raiders went on two touchdown drives to take the lead.

Ultimately, they had a chance to get the win on a field goal, but they saw it slip through their fingers.

Ballers

TE Brock Bowers

Bowers continues to improve his game. He scored in double figures again, this time for a career-high 140 yards and a touchdown. He even had a ridiculous one-handed grip in the game. And on the final drive to field goal range, he made a catch from 80 feet to center field.

DE Maxx Crosby, DE K’Lavon Chaisson

Last week it was Tyree Wilson who shared the spotlight with Crosby. This week it’s Chaisson who routinely enters the backfield. Chaisson got to Patrick Mahomes three times for 1.5 sacks and a pressure that led to Crosby’s sack. Overall, Crosby had four QB hits and two tackles for loss. While Chaisson had a tackle for loss and three QB hits.

W. Jakobi Meyers

Meyers had two huge catches of 43 yards and 24 yards to lead the Raiders’ first scoring drive. He added a ten-yard catch on the final drive, putting the Raiders at the KC 40-yard line. He finished with six catches for 97 yards.

RB Ameer Abdullah

His 69-yard kick return in the third quarter came just in time. The Raiders trailed 16-3 at the time and it got the team going on the KC 26 yard line. They would score their first TD two plays later to make it a one score game. He would add two catches for 14 yards on the final drive, including the seven-yard catch to put the team within field goal range for what would have been the game winner.

QB Aidan O’Connell

If the Raiders had been able to make the deal, O’Connell might have been Top Baller for this game. He threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, leading the Raiders from a 16-3 deficit to the lead early in the fourth quarter, then off the field for what would have been the game-winner. But his popping messed up the line on the final play, breaking the ball early and costing them the win. Other than that he was fantastic. That’s why he gets credit for it, despite his big mistake at the end.

Honorable mention

DT Adam Butler – Second on the team in tackles (6) and had half a sack and a tackle for loss.

WR Tre Tucker – Got open deep down the left sideline for the touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

RB Sincere McCormick – Had 12 carries for 64 yards (5.3 yards per carry)