Oakland Raiders: Winners and Losers Against Kansas City Chiefs

For the sixth straight season, the Oakland Raiders have left their mark at Arrowhead Stadium.

After a 26-16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders made themselves relevant in the AFC West for the first time this season as Oakland did a much better job on the defensive side of the ball.

Simply put, the Raiders just looked better. The win wasn't perfect and it was against one of the worst teams in the NFL, but it was a divisional win and it shifts the momentum in Oakland's direction.

Here's a look at the Raiders' winners and losers from Week 8.

Winner: Denarius Moore

Denarius Moore continues to show how great of a receiver he is by making big play after big play for the Raiders.

Moore finished with five catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in Oakland's victory against the Chiefs. He has also scored a touchdown in three consecutive games and has given Oakland's passing game momentum since coming back from a hamstring injury.

The Raiders lost momentum early on in this game when Carson Palmer threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage. On their next possession, Moore took a short pass and turned it into a 58-yard gain.

His late second-quarter touchdown gave Oakland the lead heading into halftime and helped set the tone for the rest of the game.

Notable Mention: Brandon Myers

Palmer hooked up with the tight end Myers three times for 49 yards against the Chiefs. Myers continues to be Palmer's security blanket in the passing attack.

Winner: The Defense

It took a pitiful first half of the season, but Oakland's pass rush finally made itself known.

The Raiders recorded three sacks on Chiefs quarterbacks and were constantly in their faces. The ample amounts of pressure the Raiders provided confused the Chiefs offense, forcing two interceptions.

Oakland also won the battle at the line of scrimmage, which killed Kansas City's running game. Any success the Chiefs have had offensively this season has been because of their ability to run the football.

The Raiders held Kansas City's third-ranked rushing offense to just 102 yards and made Jamaal Charles a complete non-factor.  It was by far Oakland's most impressive performance of the season.

Loser: Third-Down Efficiency

Despite all of the great moments the Raiders had in their win, there is still much more room for improvement.

Oakland finished just 2-of-12 on third down opportunities. This is a significant drop off from their 6-of-17 performance last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Raiders inability to convert on third down will hurt them in the long run. Sunday's performance marks the third time this season they've failed to generate more than two conversions on third down in a game.

Winner: Darren McFadden

The Raiders best offensive weapon had his most consistent game of the season against Kansas City.

Darren McFadden finished with 29 carries for 114 yards on the ground and had four catches for 23 yards as well. It was only the second time all season where he averaged over three yards per carry.

He was constantly involved in the offense, and his 29 carries were the most he's had in a game since 2009. If McFadden is successful, then the Raiders will be successful.

Notable Mention: Sebastian Janikowski

Once again, Sebastian Janikowski continues to prove why he is the most reliable kicker in the NFL. He was 4-for-4 on Sunday and has been automatic from inside 50 yards.

Whenever the Raiders are near midfield, they know Janikowski has the leg to kick it through the uprights.

Winner: Discipline

Don't look now, but Oakland only committed two penalties the entire game.

Not only is this an incredible stat given the Raiders history as being penalty machines, but they only committed two penalties in one of the league's toughest places to play.

After being penalized a combined 21 times in their two previous games, the Raiders became disciplined and buckled down in front of a hostile crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.

Divisional games have the potential to make teams play a little reckless, but Dennis Allen had his guys under control.