Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Full Report Card Grades for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs entered Week 15 with a three-game losing skid and snapped it in a 31-13 rout of the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
The quiet first half saw only special teams scores, but the third quarter featured three touchdowns, all by Kansas City. The Chiefs came away with scores on offense and special teams and dominated defensively.
They picked up a much-needed win and control their own destiny moving forward.
Here are Kansas City’s grades from its crucial win over Oakland.
Quarterback
1 of 11
Alex Smith logged a season-high 297 yards through the air, connecting with two players who had 69 yards and another who had 70 yards. Smith completed 18 passes with a pair of touchdown scores and a quarterback passer rating of 115.6. Despite the recent woes at the offensive line, he was sacked just once in this game.
However, not all was perfect for Smith.
He had accuracy issues, as some of his passes were overthrown and too low.
If the Chiefs want to operate a three-dimensional offense, they will need Smith to improve his accuracy.
Grade: C+
Running Back
2 of 11
Even with 52 yards on 12 carries, Jamaal Charles took a backseat, while backup running back Knile Davis helped run the tables in the second half.
Davis first scored on a three-yard touchdown run, which was the start of a third-quarter rout. After Smith threw a touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce, the quarterback threw to Davis, who outran the entire Oakland defense 70 yards for Kansas City's longest passing play of the season.
Davis had been quiet since Week 5, and it was good to see him help the team on offense.
Moving forward, the Chiefs will want to continue to use the tandem of Charles and Davis to their advantage.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver
3 of 11
Kansas City's passing game was resilient against the Raiders, as two wide receivers each registered three catches for 69 yards. Dwayne Bowe and rookie Albert Wilson came through for Smith to help the passing game.
The passing game was key anytime the Chiefs struggled and needed a first down.
This was the first time since Week 5 against New England that Kansas City had multiple wide receivers make an impact on offense.
The reality is that this was a rare scene. The wide receivers did not catch a touchdown pass, but the receiving corps was vital, helping the Chiefs snap a losing streak.
Grade: A-
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Tight End
4 of 11
Travis Kelce lost a crucial fumble, but the Raiders got only a field goal out of it. He bounced back, finishing with a team-high five receptions for 59 yards.
He got in on the fun in the third quarter when Smith found him 20 yards for a touchdown on a two-play drive.
Kelce had struggled during the three-game losing streak, but he helped the team pick up a win and snap the streak on Sunday.
Grade: B
Offensive Line
5 of 11
Smith had been sacked at least five times in three of the last five games prior to beating the Raiders. Against Oakland, he was sacked just once and was given the time he needed to make the right throws.
Charles ran just 12 times but averaged 4.3 yards per carry, thanks to the push the line gave.
It was one of the better performances from the Kansas City offensive line, which had a hand in the team's first win in nearly a month.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
6 of 11
The defensive line had some flashes, mostly against the pass while trying to pressure Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr. Defensive linemen Vance Walker and Jaye Howard split a sack, as Carr was only able to complete 48 percent of his passes due to the pass rush.
The defensive line struggled against Oakland's rushing game. Primarily led by Latavius Murray, the Raiders averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Due to the Chiefs taking a big lead, this forced the Raiders to go pass-heavy, and they only ran for 78 yards against the Chiefs.
Grade: B
Linebacker
7 of 11
Kansas City's outside linebackers got the best of Carr, terrorizing him throughout the game.
Outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston recorded six quarterback hits combined. Both Pro Bowl pass-rushers each collected a sack, while rookie outside linebacker Dee Ford had half of a sack.
This is the Chiefs' best unit, and it continues to do well each week to put the team in position to win.
Grade: A+
Secondary
8 of 11
The Oakland Raiders managed to pad some stats near the end but could not make a legitimate impact when the game was close prior to the fourth quarter.
Husain Abdullah made several plays by coming up with hits against ball-carriers while also defending some passes, forcing them to drop for incompletions.
Despite not having a dominant cornerback and being without safety Eric Berry, the secondary continues to get help from the front seven and is taking advantage of that.
Grade: B
Special Teams
9 of 11
Rookie returner De'Anthony Thomas had electrified fans in the preseason in his first-ever punt return that he took back 80 yards for a touchdown. This time, he did it for real, earning his first career punt-return, going 81 yards to the house against the Raiders for the first score of the game.
Punter Dustin Colquitt did well, averaging 40 yards per punt. He booted a 62-yard booming punt and pinned five balls inside Oakland's 20-yard line.
As for rookie kicker Cairo Santos, his streak of 14 consecutive made field goals came to an end. In fact, he had a bad day, making just 1-of-3. Everyone has a bad day, and all you can do is hope that Santos bounces back.
Grade: B
Coaching
10 of 11
When you play a bad team like the Oakland Raiders, you're expected to finish with a score similar to what the Chiefs had. It was not a perfectly coached game, as Charles did not get plenty of touches. But when the Chiefs have the lead like the one in Sunday's win over the Raiders, you can save the 20-plus touches for Charles for a more important game.
What Reid needs to do is find a way for Smith to be more accurate with his passes. He had a couple of opportunities to throw for a touchdown pass to a wide receiver, but his passes were not on target.
Overall, this was a far better game from a coaching standpoint compared to the last three games combined. The final score is indicative of that.
Reid will be tested in the final two games against two teams that went into Week 15 with a wild-card spot in tow, the Steelers and Chargers. If Reid can prepare his team, have the right approach and out-coach Mike Tomlin and Mike McCoy, he will redeem himself after all the criticism he received in the last three weeks.
Grade: A-
Overall
11 of 11
QB: C+
RB: A
WR: A-
TE: B
OL: A-
DL: B
LB: A+
DB: B
ST: B
Coaching: A-
Cumulative: B
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