Chiefs get ridiculously lucky Black Friday gift in undeserved win over Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs beating the Las Vegas Raiders in primetime should normally be a cause for celebration, irrespective of the overall record. However, the Chiefs' 19-17 victory against the Raiders was so putrid that even the biggest homer Chiefs fan out there has to feel more lucky than confident.

The Raiders had a chance to take the lead against the Chiefs in the fourth quarter, but a bizarre sequence that eventually ended in a Daniel Carlson field goal attempt led to his third miss of the game. Kansas City got the ball back, but they were unable to run out the clock and punted the ball back to the Raiders.

After more big plays from rookie standout tight end Brock Bowers, Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell eventually fumbled a snap in field goal range to seal the victory for the Chiefs. Kansas City moved to 11-1 and the Raiders fell to 2-10.

If you didn't know the records going into the game and were asked to pick out the 11-1 team, it would have been damn near impossible. The Chiefs' win was as pyrrhic as possible, as their last two victories needed incredible last-second luck against some of the worst teams in football.

Chiefs gifted Black Friday win vs. Raiders thanks to missed field goals, fumbles

The Raiders won the time-of-possession battle, held Kansas City and their miserable offensive line to just one touchdown at home, and outgained them by over 100 yards. By all rights, the Raiders should have won this game, even with the special teams mistakes and some odd coaching choices from Antonio Pierce.

Fans will often try to minimize the impact of games like this by saying championship teams find ways to win when things don't go right. That's true, but it doesn't apply here. The Chiefs were on their hands and knees begging the Raiders to win this game, and they didn't take it. The Raiders' biggest mistakes were all self-inflicted.

The Chiefs are still the favorites to win the AFC, and having Mahomes and Andy Reid negates any big-picture concerns. However, as it pertains to their chances of winning another Super Bowl, the record does not match up with this team's quality. They are much less potent and buttoned up than they have been in past title runs.