Raiders vs. Chiefs: Keys Stats for Oakland in the First Half

In a battle of AFC West teams who are both still in the playoff race, the Raiders and Chiefs clash in the latest edition of their storied, 52-year rivalry. Oakland should be very hungry coming off a heartbreaking loss at home to the Lions. They came out of the gates fast. Here are some key stats and observations from the first half for the Raiders:

1. 91 Yards, 3 Points

The Raiders opened the game with a 91-yard kickoff return from Bryan McCann, getting them to the Kansas City 14-yard line and putting them in prime position to pick up seven points early. However, two Michael Bush run attempts and a Carson Palmer incompletion couldn't push them to the 4-yard line, and they had to settle for a 28-yarder from Sebastian Janikowski. An opening-drive TD after that return would have made a much bigger statement.

2. Interceptions

Carson Palmer has got to take better care when throwing the ball. If not for a fortuitous holding call against the Chiefs late in the first quarter, he would have thrown picks on two straight Raiders' drives. Since he was traded to the Raiders, he's only had two games in which he hasn't thrown a pick. Sometimes, it's okay to just take the sack if you can't get the ball out of bounds.

3. Penalties

The Raiders continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties, as they have all season and for years prior. They lead the league and already have ruined scoring chances with big penalties. The most glaring example came on a 4th-and-1 during the second quarter when a fake punt that turned into a Myers touchdown was rescinded due to a delay-of-game penalty. Instead, Janikowski ended up missing the 58-yard field goal. Huge shift in momentum.