Recap: Travis Kelce’s banner night carries Chiefs past Raiders in Week 5

For those wanting a tough AFC West battle that went back and forth in primetime, you got your money’s worth watching the Kansas City Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. Despite their best efforts, however, on the road, the Raiders couldn’t handle a night to remember for tight end Travis Kelce as the Chiefs walked away with a closer-than-expected 30-29 win.

It was clear from the beginning that the Raiders came ready to play at Arrowhead, fueled by the boost of confidence that came from two primary sources: the influx of returning injured players in Week 5 and the results of their first win of the season in Week 4. Not only had Josh McDaniels just earned his first win as the team’s head coach, but the Raiders got back several key players against K.C. including cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, wideout Hunter Renfrow, and linebacker Denzel Perryman.

The Raiders took the energy out of Arrowhead early by owning the Chiefs in the trenches. Patrick Mahomes was under constant pressure from the Raiders on both sides, as both Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones put on an exhibition in pressure against K.C.’s overmatched tackles. The Chiefs’ first three offensive series featured two quick punts and a missed field goal by replacement kicker Matthew Wright.

A banner night for Travis Kelce helped the Kansas City Chiefs overcome a strong effort from the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead in Week 5.

Meanwhile, Derek Carr and the Raiders were able to surprise the Chiefs with a 58-yard touchdown strike to Davante Adams on a play-action pass on a gutsy fourth-down call in the first quarter that put them up 7-0. From there, the Raiders would add another 10 unanswered points behind a tough series of runs from Josh Jacobs, aided by some costly penalties on Kansas City.

The Chiefs didn’t score their first point until there were less than five minutes to go in the first half, but when they got things rolling, they took over momentum completely. A surprising 30-yard run by Jerick McKinnon kickstarted an oft-stalled offense, and Travis Kelce became a beast in the red zone on a night in which he set a career-high for touchdown catches with four.

The Raiders were able to add two field goals to their two first-half touchdowns, but the Chiefs watched Wright convert a strong 59-yard field goal attempt to cut the deficit from 20-10. It was a bit of good news after the Chiefs watched refs rob Chris Jones of a strip sack that could have changed the game considerably shortly before halftime. From there, however, the Chiefs looked like a team tired of letting anyone else have their say and they came out in the second half firing on all cylinders.

The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first three possessions in the second half, all catches by Kelce on a career night, on long drives that featured key catches by JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It was another chapter for a diversified offense that made the Chiefs look so good in Week 4 in primetime against the Buccaneers. Each drive went at least 55 yards.

The Raiders weren’t going to be denied, however, and deserve credit for bouncing back after finally losing the lead for the first time. Kicker Daniel Carlson nailed a 47-yard attempt on a perfect night for him on the Raiders’ next drive, and they added another downfield highlight on Carr’s dime to Adams late in the fourth quarter. McDaniels could have tied the game with an extra point, but he opted for a failed two-point conversion run by Jacobs that allowed K.C. to get the ball back with only minutes left and the lead.

From there, the Raiders were able to stop the Chiefs on their final drive and had just over two minutes to win the game. They made a solid effort of it but were unable to finish the deal and move to 1-4 on the season. Meanwhile, the Chiefs move to 4-1 and hold a one-game lead over the Chargers in the AFC West.