Raiders KO Quinn, shut down Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Just enough offense, a little bigger dose of defense and a dash of special teams combined to help the Oakland Raiders continue their winning ways in the heart of America.
For the sixth consecutive year, the Raiders visited Arrowhead Stadium and went back to Oakland with a victory over the Chiefs. This time it was 26-16, as the Raiders improved to 3-4 on the season.
With Carson Palmer throwing two touchdown passes, Darren McFadden running for 114 yards, and the Oakland defense shutting down Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles (eight touches for 10 yards), the Raiders looked like a team that is starting to pull the pieces together under first-year head coach Dennis Allen.
"You don't play the same every week in the NFL," Allen said. "The key is can you overcome when you don't play well and still win football games. That's what we were able to do last week (in coming from behind to beat Jacksonville). This week we executed well from the start of the game, and we got a few takeaways."
The Chiefs continued their giving ways, turning the ball over four times and pushing their total to 25 turnovers on the season. It's the biggest reason they are 1-6 and must turn things around quickly ahead of a Thursday night game against the Chargers in San Diego.
"(We) wanted very much to win this one, but we didn't get it done," Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. "We've got a short week, so we have to try to get the guys up mentally and physically to play a game Thursday night."
Coming off their bye week, the Chiefs were desperate for change, so they gave starting quarterback Matt Cassel the hook and handed the job to Brady Quinn. However, Quinn did not survive the first quarter, leaving with a concussion after throwing an interception.
"We'll see what the doctors say about his condition, and we'll adapt accordingly," said Crennel of Quinn.
Quinn saw his first action of the year three weeks ago when Cassel suffered a concussion.
While the Chiefs were stumbling about, the Raiders were not flashy, just methodical in taking advantage of the opportunities they received. They turned their four takeaways into 13 points.
After throwing an interception on the first offensive play of the game, Palmer played well, throwing touchdown passes to wide receivers Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski added four field goals to the winning equation.
The key moment in the game may have come in the last minute of the first half. The score was tied at 6-6, as Janikowski had hit field goals from 36 and 35 yards, while Kansas City's Ryan Succop had made field goals of 30 and 42 yards.
The Raiders recovered a muffed punt by returner Javier Arenas. That set up Oakland at the Kansas City 11-yard line, and Palmer took the offense into the end zone on three plays, throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Moore. The extra point from Janikowski gave the Raiders a 13-6 lead that they carried into halftime.
"It was huge," Allen said of the fumble and subsequent Raiders touchdown. "To get seven points there was a big break for us and a big momentum-builder."
In the third quarter, Palmer connected with Heyward-Bey for a 32-yard touchdown play, while Janikowski was good from 29 and 32 yards. The 29-yarder was set up when the Chiefs fumbled a snap. Succop added a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Chiefs' only touchdown came late in the game when Cassel hit wide receiver Dexter McCluster with a 10-yard pass.
The Raiders were able to kill the clock thanks to McFadden, who carried 12 times in the fourth quarter for 73 yards.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "You prepare all week and (the Raiders) go out and do what you expect them to do, but you still come up short."
Palmer completed 14 of 28 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He was never sacked.
"I don't think my jersey needs to be washed. (The offensive line) did a great job up front in the passing game," Palmer said.
The Chiefs ran for 102 yards on 22 carries, but 53 of those yards came from Quinn and Cassel. Charles had just 4 yards on five carries.
"I think our guys up front did an outstanding job of getting off blocks and limiting them as far as their running game was concerned," Allen said. "That's an explosive offense when it comes to the running game, and it was a focus of ours."
The Raiders return home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
Cassel said he'd be ready to play Thursday.
"I don't know what Brady's situation is right now, we will find out more, but right now, physically I'm fine," said Cassel, who completed 20 of 30 passes for 218 yards. He threw one touchdown pass and was intercepted once.
NOTES: Janikowski has always loved kicking at Arrowhead Stadium. He's now 32-for-36 on field-goal attempts in his career at Kansas City. ... The Raiders' six consecutive wins in Kansas City matches the record streak for a visiting team at Arrowhead Stadium. The Pittsburgh Steelers won six in a row at Kansas City from 1974 to 1992. ... The Chiefs have now played 428 minutes of football this season without holding a lead at any point. Their only victory came on the last play of overtime on Sept. 23 at New Orleans.
touchdown play, while Janikowski was good from 29 and 32 yards. The 29-yarder was set up when the Chiefs fumbled a snap. Succop added a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Chiefs' only touchdown came late in the game when Cassel hit wide receiver Dexter McCluster with a 10-yard pass.
The Raiders were able to kill the clock thanks to McFadden, who carried 12 times in the fourth quarter for 73 yards.
The Chiefs ran for 102 yards on 22 carries, but 53 of those yards came from Quinn and Cassel. Charles had just 4 yards on five carries.
"I think our guys up front did an outstanding job of getting off blocks and limiting them as far as their running game was concerned," Allen said. "That's an explosive offense when it comes to the running game, and it was a focus of ours."
The Raiders return home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
NOTES: Janikowski has always loved kicking at Arrowhead Stadium. He's now 32-for-36 on field-goal attempts in his career at Kansas City. ... The Raiders' six consecutive wins in Kansas City matches the record streak for a visiting team at Arrowhead Stadium. The Pittsburgh Steelers won six in a row at Kansas City from 1974 to 1992. ... The Chiefs have now played 428 minutes of football this season without holding a lead at any point. Their only victory came on the last play of overtime on Sept. 23 at New Orleans.
