Raiders vs Chiefs: Defenders earn game balls for exemplary effort in frustrating win

It seems like every week, there is another heart attack for Chiefs fans at the end of a game. Whether it's a blocked field goal, a toe over the line, or a late flag, Kansas City needs to start providing EKG machines to all of Chiefs Kingdom before the playoffs begin.

With that said, another victory is in the win-loss column after a 19-17 victory on Black Friday, beating the lowly (now) 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders to complete the sweep over the AFC West rivals that embarrassed them in Arrowhead on Christmas Day last season.

The victory was sealed when Raiders rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball early, which caused a fumble for quarterback Aiden O'Connell. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton recovered the ball. All of this happened after the Raiders went all the way downfield with zero timeouts, methodically placing them in a great position to win the game with a field goal before the costly mistake.

All of that came after a great game from a few Chiefs players, some of whom heard their names over and over again for the first time in weeks, and others who created havoc on a few key plays to cause momentum to shift in their favor.

Here are three game balls for the narrow victory that clinched the Chiefs' tenth-straight playoff appearance.

Game Ball #1: Chris Jones

The CEO of "Sack Nation" finally added to his sack total for the first time since Week 4 against the Chargers, putting two more into the season total that now sits at just five. It was officially his 21st multi-sack game and the two sacks came at clutch, pivotal moments in the game.

The first sack for Jones came in the second quarter after the Raiders got all the way down to the Chiefs' four-yard line, sacking O'Connell on a vital third down play that would have likely ended in the end zone if not for Jones.

That sack not only forced the Raiders to kick a field goal, it also elevated Jones in the Chiefs' history books at fourth place all-time with 79.5 career sacks, passing Justin Houston.

What clinched the game ball for Jones was when he grabbed his second sack against the Raiders with just over 70 seconds to go in the first half on another huge third down for Las Vegas.

His two sacks were part of a six-tackle game that tied him with Justin Reid and Bryan Cook for third-most behind Chamarri Conner (7) and Nick Bolton (11). Needless to say, Jones made a statement in this game and reminded people why he is the highest-paid DT in the game after signing the contract this offseason.

Game Ball #2: George Karlaftis

"Furious George" had four sacks coming into Black Friday and has been rather silent since the overtime victory over Tampa Bay at the beginning of November. That changed against the Raiders when he had two of the bigger plays of the second half.

The first was on 3rd-and-7 when the Raiders were nearing the red zone. That's when Karlaftis made a dominant play over the left tackle for a sack that took Las Vegas back 15 yards, forcing a 55-yard field goal instead of a 40-yarder, eventually missed by Daniel Carlson.

That sack was his only of the game, but it wasn't the only reason he deserved a game ball. Karlaftis' pressure was immense for much of the game, especially when Charles Omenihu and Jones were both also on the line. Late in the fourth quarter, he also got his hands up when he couldn't get to O'Connell.

That play was on 2nd-and-11 with just over two minutes to go in the game, which stopped a pass mid-air that would have been complete to Brock Bowers who had a massive game up until that point. That forced a 3rd-and-long that also got cut short, this time by Chiefs safety Justin Reid.

Karlaftis may not have made a major impact on the stat sheet, with just two tackles total, but he made a bigger push on the Raiders' offensive line than many other Chiefs did throughout the entire game.

Game Ball #3: Nick Bolton

Bolton hasn't had the best of seasons from an analytical standpoint, especially against the pass where he always seems to be out of place. But, on the final play of the game, he was in perfect position to jump on the ball and force the Raiders into yet another last-second loss under interim-turned-permanent head coach Antonio Pierce.

Bolton not only landed on the ball at the best time, but he also led the team in tackles (again) with 11—10 of them being solo tackles—with one of those being for a loss.

After the game, Amazon Prime gave Bolton a unique, one-of-a-kind jacket to commemorate his Player of the Game status made by Kyle Juszczyk's wife Kristin, who has also made personal jackets for player's wives and even Taylor Swift.

There are many reasons why the Chiefs should not pay Bolton after this season: his injury history, his lack of consistency on passing plays, the talent coming out of college at linebacker. But during games like this, Chiefs Kingdom is reminded why Bolton is so important to the scheme that Steve Spagnuolo has used to win at the highest levels since 2019.

Honorable Mentions:

DeAndre Hopkins, WR

Despite an uncharacteristic drop by Hopkins late in the game that forced a third-and-goal, Hopkins led the team in receiving yards (90) despite only having four receptions compared to teammates like Travis Kelce (7-68) and Xavier Worthy (5-54).

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Raiders center

While it may cause a laugh, the center for the Raiders—a 21-year-old rookie out of Oregon—felt the full force of Arrowhead and the loudest crowd in the NFL when he snapped that ball before O'Connell was ready. If it weren't for that snap, there might be another loss on the Chiefs' schedule and another embarrassing display against Las Vegas on yet another holiday game.