It was a fitting end to a miserable season for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Las Vegas Raiders emerged from the uninspired clash between the AFC West two worst teams in Week 18 with a 14-12 victory that featured a litany of field goals and a single safety.
The Chiefs are official losers here, but there were a few bright spots as a result. Chiefs Kingdom has been stuck in "looking for silver linings" mode for the last several games, and this contest is no different.
Let's look at our Week 18 winners and losers between the Chiefs and Raiders in the season finale for both franchises.
Winner: Brett Veach
The Chiefs now have the No. 9 overall draft pick thanks to the big leg of Daniel Carson, who sealed a Raiders win with a last-second long field goal to put the Raiders up 14-12. By sending the Chiefs home with a loss, K.C. now has a top-top pick instead of No. 11 overall. When picking that high, every slot makes a big difference, so the loss gives the Chiefs general manager a better chance to land a coveted blue-chip prospect.
Loser: Chris Oladokun
The conversation needs to stay grounded here. Chris Oladokun struggled on Sunday, just one week after leading the Chiefs' offense to a closer-than-expected defeat against the Denver Broncos. Oladokun's Week 18 performance will temper that excitement from the previous week, but it's also true that K.C. was largely playing with backups. Then again, it was against the Raiders. Basically, it's hard to take much from this, but no one should be comfortable with Oladokun as a primary competitor for a QB2 role.
Winner: Brashard Smith
If the Chiefs have a single biggest winner from their Week 18 game against the Raiders, it's Brashard Smith. Despite a major need for greater dynamism in the backfield, Smith has been relegated to the sidelines far too often in '25, which has become a recurring theme at several positions. Fortunately, they let Smith handle lead-back responsibilities on Sunday, and he responded with a strong performance (12 carries for 56 yards) that proved he's ready for me. Too late for this season, but it gives the Chiefs a spark at their weakest position for '26.
Loser: Travis Kelce
It's hard to see a legend potentially go out like this. Kelce had every reason to call it quits last season, following a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance and plenty of non-football demands in his life. However, the chance to run it back proved too great a temptation and a svelte Kelce showed up rejuvenated for the '25 campaign. Instead of redeeming themselves, Kelce was one of the few bright spots on a miserable six-win team, and his final stat line in a game could be 2 catches for 10 yards against the Raiders in a meaningless Week 18 matchup. That's gotta be the complete opposite of what he expected.
Winner: Kristian Fulton
Kristian Fulton's late-season turnaround has been rather remarkable. Benched for the majority of the year after starting the preseason with an injury (and getting hurt again in Week 2), Fulton has come on strong in the last few games to alter the narrative about his offseason trajectory. It was only a month ago that Chiefs Kingdom projected him as a likely release. Now he looks like a potential starter for the Chiefs secondary in 2026 after all.
Loser: Mike Caliendo
The Chiefs have gone with Mike Caliendo anytime there's been a need for a substitute at guard for the last couple of seasons. As a former undrafted free agent signing, Caliendo has been an impressive story and has provided great value to the Chiefs. On Sunday, however, the Chiefs gave Hunter Nourzad a chance to start at right guard in place of Trey Smith (ankle) and likely earned more trust going forward with his performance. With two years left on a late-round rookie deal, the Chiefs have some depth decisions to make this spring.
Winner: Nohl Williams
It's not that Nohl Williams really needed more evidence in his corner that he's going to be a bigger factor for the Chiefs going forward, but Week 18 provided it anyway. Williams has been an overly physical presence for the Chiefs even as a green rookie, but further playing time has allowed him to play even more instinctually. The Raiders aren't the biggest challenge, but Williams' play in Week 18 has fans excited to see what he can do after a full offseason.