Las Vegas Raiders

Oakland Raiders drop first road game to Kansas City Chiefs

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Oakland Raiders dropped their first road game of the season on Thursday Night Football to the Kansas City Chiefs. What is next for these teams?

There was a huge shakeup in the NFL’s best division on Thursday night, as the Oakland Raiders fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. The loss was Oakland’s first on the road this season, and it was an incredibly costly one, as the Chiefs took over the 1st place position in the AFC West.

Were the season to end today, the Raiders would have the 5th overall seed in the AFC West. The victory for the Chiefs was incredibly costly, however…

With a commanding 21-3 lead in the first half, the Chiefs lost Derrick Johnson to an Achilles injury, and after the game, their worst fears were confirmed. The star linebacker suffered a ruptured Achilles, so the Chiefs now have to prep for a playoff run without their leader in the middle defensively.

The AFC West has been one of the most entertaining divisions to watch this season, and the Chiefs have certainly paid their dues this season in terms of gut-check victories. The Chiefs have been this year’s cardiac kids, winning games in remarkable fashion seemingly every week.

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That wasn’t the case on Thursday night, where we saw the Chiefs in command after the Raiders took a 3-0 lead early on. Alex Smith was inexplicably dropping dimes down the field, and there was no running game to speak of.

The Raiders were forcing turnovers left and right to start the second half, but Derek Carr was limited to 17-of-41 passing and no one among Oakland’s arsenal of weaponry in the passing game had more than 29 yards receiving.

Tyreek Hill was again a major difference in this one, amassing 190 total yards and two touchdowns. He was so good for the majority of the game, people probably already forgot that he muffed the first Oakland punt of the game, setting up the Raiders with great field position that resulted in just six points.

This was a game that solidified the Chiefs as a contender in the AFC, and showed they can win in a vast variety of ways.

Now, the top three teams in the AFC West are separated by just a game. The Chiefs have games remaining at home against the Titans and Broncos, and a road game in San Diego against the Chargers. The Raiders have to go to San Diego, host Indianapolis, and then travel to Denver to end the season.

Buckle up, everyone.

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