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Raiders Week 11 Ballers & Busters vs Chiefs

It was the much-anticipated rematch between the Raiders and Chiefs. The ketchup and mustard gang was fuming after the Silver and Black went into their house and put up 40 points on them in a win. They were trying hard to make a big deal about the Raiders’ bus doing a victory lap around the stadium after, but really it was being handed their only loss the the season that burnt their biscuits.

As frothing mad as the Chiefs players seemed to be, they still found themselves coming from behind most of the game. They didn’t lead in the first half. The Raiders scored touchdowns on their first two drives and though the Chiefs answered with touchdown drives of their own, they headed into the half with a 17-14 deficit.

A long drive to begin the third quarter gave the Chiefs their first lead at 21-17. The Raiders then did the answering to retake the lead at 24-21. And back and forth it went until the Chiefs scored with 30 seconds remaining to take a 35-31 lead. In his desperation, Carr tried throwing a deep ball to Nelson Agholor and the safety easily came over to pick it off and end the game.

It was a hell of a game though between what has shaped up to be two of the league’s elite offenses.

Top Ballers: QB Derek Carr, TE Darren Waller

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 21: Darren Waller #83 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates a touchdown with Derek Carr #4 during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Allegiant Stadium on September 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Derek Carr was phenomenal in this game. And when he needed his top target to give him some help, Darren Waller was there. The Raiders found themselves in third and five on the third play of the game. Then Carr found Waller for a 26-yard completion to keep the drive alive. Next play Carr went to Nelson Agholor for 29 yards to put them at the 15-yard-line. Two plays later, they scored to open the game with a 7-0 lead. With the Chiefs matching them with a touchdown drive of their own, Carr and company went back to work. And once again, on third down, Carr went to Waller to pick it up. Two plays later, the Chiefs jumped offsides and Carr took the free play to drop a dime to Agholor for a 17-yard touchdown. Once again, the Chiefs responded with a touchdown drive to tie it back up. And once again, the Raiders got on their horses. Along the way, Waller had a key block on a 6-yard Devontae Booker run and caught a short pass, made Tyrann Mathieu look silly on a whiff to pick up 11 yards. The Raiders would make it to the one-yard-line when Carr dropped a pass into Bryan Edwards on a fade, but it was knocked out. Jon Gruden went ballistic on the sideline calling for a pass interference and was slapped with an unsportsmanlike conduct, so they would have to settle for a field goal and a 17-14 lead. No response from the Chiefs this time. The Raiders would move into KC territory on the next drive thanks to a masterful reverse field pass from Carr to, of course, Waller. And again Waller would make Honey Badger look foolish to pick up 18 yards. That drive stalled after that because of a drop by Agholor. It was the first of two huge drops by Agholor in this game, in case you're wondering why he's not among the Ballers. With the Chiefs taking the lead on a long, sustained drive to begin the third quarter, the Raiders had to get a move on. Once again, they were in third and six on the third play. And once again, it was Waller with the catch for 16 yards. A 21-yard connection between Carr and Hunter Renfrow would put the Raiders in first and goal at the three. Two plays later, Waller put a move on the safety, Carr made a little move like he was throwing that direction to sell it and Waller broke from right to left and was about as wide open as you'll ever see a player. Carr threw it his way and was raising his arms almost before the ball touched Waller's hands. With 5:54 remaining, the Raiders would get the ball, once again down 28-24. On third and five, Carr found Agholor for a 20-yard reception to put them at midfield. A KC pass interference penalty in the end zone would give the Raiders a first and goal at the one-yard line. A false start penalty and tackle for loss would back the Raiders up to the 8-yard-line, but on the next play, Carr tossed it to Waller in the flat and he fought back to the one-yard-line. Third-and-one and Carr escaped the pocket, rolling right to find a receiver. Jason Witten broke back toward him and Carr nailed him right at the pylon for the go-ahead touchdown. Unfortunately for Carr and the Raiders, they had left 1:43 on the clock and the Chiefs drove for their go-ahead touchdown. Carr desperation deep ball with 28 seconds left was picked off to end it. He finished 23 of 31 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Waller was his leading receiver with 7 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Ballers: LT Kolton Miller, RT Brandon Parker

Derek Carr was not sacked once in this game. He saw a little pressure, but mainly it was from the interior, not from the edges. Both had blocks in the run game. Parker laid a key block to spring Josh Jacobs for 13 yards to put the Raiders in first and goal at the two-yard-l

Nov 15, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders players are waiting to take the field before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

ine leading to the first touchdown of the game. Just a clean perfect game for these two.

Baller: CB Trayvon Mullen

Nov 22, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Trayvon Mullen (27) runs the ball ahead of Kansas City Chiefs running back Darrel Williams (31) after an interception during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The key to beating the Chiefs these days is to simply outscore them. That is not easy to do most times because they can often score at will. So, when you can take points off the board from them, it's a big deal. That's what Mullen did in this game. With a 17-14 Raiders lead late in the second quarter, the Chiefs were driving. They were already in position to tie it with a field goal and were looking to take the lead with a touchdown. In first and goal from the 14-yard-line, Patrick Mahomes threw for the end zone. Mullen was in tight coverage and when the pass was slightly behind Demarcus Robinson, Mullen picked it off. The Chiefs would neither tie nor take the lead heading into the half. It was an especially big deal considering the Chiefs would get another crack at it to begin the third quarter. They would drive for a touchdown to open the second half, but can you imagine if they'd also scored to end the first half? This game would've been practically over right then. That's what the Chiefs do. Mullen stopped that and gave the Raiders the opportunity to retake the lead twice in the second half. That was also just the second interception Mahomes has thrown this season. The first was to Raiders safety Jeff Heath in the Chiefs' week five loss. Mullen would also have two pass breakups in the game, giving him a team-leading nine pass breakups on the season.

Baller: DE Maxx Crosby

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 22: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs passes the ball under pressure from defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

No one got a sack on Mahomes in this game. But Crosby did well to make his life as difficult as possible. And he did some work in the run game as well The Chiefs had one stalled drive in the second half. It was a three-and-out that started with Crosby shooting into the backfield so quick he was practically there before the handoff to make the tackle for a loss of four. He would get containment on an end-around on the next drive to set up another tackle for a loss of five yards. He had several pressures in the game including a QB hit to force an incompletion and added another run stuff for no gain.

Honorable Mention

Oct 4, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

WR Hunter Renfrow -- Had a 16-yard catch in the Raiders second scoring drive, a 21-yard catch on third and six on their first go-ahead touchdown drive of the second half, and a key block on a 12-yard Henry Ruggs end around on their final scoring drive of the game.

Top Busters: S Johnathan Abram, CB Damon Arnette

Nov 15, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden (right) talks with Las Vegas Raiders strong safety Johnathan Abram (left) and Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette (center) before a game aDenver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping Mahomes from finding receivers is a tough task. But that's the one that was before the Raiders secondary. Four of the five Chiefs' touchdown drives, it was either Arnette or Abram who gave up the biggest play. The biggest play on the Chiefs' opening touchdown drive was a 14-yard catch by Tyreek Hill on third and one with Arnette in coverage. On their second touchdown drive, Arnette was victimized on a 17-yard pass to Demarcus Robinson and later flagged for pass interference that gave the Chiefs 18 yards and put them in first and goal at the three-yard line. They scored on the next play. The final Chiefs drive of the first half, Arnette gave up a catch to Travis Kelce and overcommitted to miss the tackle for a 19-yard gain. Three plays later he was flagged for holding that put them in field goal range at the 30-yard-line. Those would have been killer plays if not for the Mullen interception to end it. The second half Abram took the baton. With the Raiders up 24-21 early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs went on a drive. They converted on third and five on a 15-yard catch and Abram added 15 more yards by hitting the receiver late out of bounds. They would drive to the six-yard-line on a play that was Abram's to make and he was blocked to allow a 6-yard touchdown off a pitch. After the Raiders retook the lead with under two minutes left, the Chiefs would have the last shot at the win. With 56 seconds left at the Las Vegas 40-yard-line, Abram gave up a 15-yard catch to Travis Kelce. Two plays later, with 34 seconds left. The Chiefs were at the 22-yard-line. Patrick Mahomes rolled out right either looking for an open receiver or a scramble. He found a very open Travis Kelce because Abram broke off his coverage at the threat of Mahomes running it. So, instead of a potential first down on the scramble while the clock continued to run, the Chiefs got the touchdown.

Buster: DT Maliek Collins

Collins's 54 snaps (69%) led the Raiders interior defensive line. And he didn't record a single statistic in the game. Meanwhile practice squad call-up Chris

Raiders defensive tackle Maliek Collins (97) stretches during an NFL football training camp practice Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in Henderson, Nev. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, Pool)

Smith had two QB hits and a tackle on 13 snaps (17%), practice squad call-up David Irving had two combined tackles on 18 snaps (23%), and Kendall Vickers had two combined tackles with one for a loss on 18 snaps (23%). Collins did get mentioned in the box score though. He was flagged for jumping offsides. Then he finished off that drive by getting driven back on a 3-yard touchdown run. Quite the impact this big free-agent addition has been this season.

Busters: LB Nicholas Morrow, DE Carl Nassib

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 15: Nicholas Morrow #50 of the Oakland Raiders reacts after a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 15, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Don Feria/Getty Images)

That one touchdown drive in the game in which it wasn't Arnette or Abram who gave up the biggest play, it was Morrow and Nassib. It was that long drive to begin the third quarter. The Chiefs were matriculating the ball down the field. After their second first down of the drive, Morrow and Nassib would allow a nine-yard run off a pitch play. Then to finish it off, Nassib failed to get containment on the edge and Morrow was blocked on a 14-yard run. The Raiders first touchdown drive started with Morrow blocked an 8-yard run, then Nassib gave up a 5-yard run. At the tail end of the drive, from the 13-yard-line, Nassib and Morrow were both driven back on a six-yard run. The touchdown was a pass in the left flat to Tyreek Hill in which Morrow was out of position, allowing Hill to score easily from three yards out.

Buster: CB Nevin Lawson

Oct 25, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Lamarcus Joyner (29) and cornerback Nevin Lawson (26) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No question Lawson was in a difficult situation here. Lamarcus Joyner was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday and seemed in line to start at nickel corner. Then Sunday morning came around and Joyner was placed back on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This meant just like that, against the top offense in the league, Lawson was being asked to play a position he had yet to play on this team. Noted. But for posterity purposes, he didn't have a good game. He gave up two 6-yard catches on the Chiefs' first scoring drive, with the second one occurring on fourth and one. On their final drive of the second quarter, he was flagged for holding. On the first scoring drive of the third quarter, he gave up another six-yard catch and later in the drive gave up a 13-yard catch to put them at the 14-yard line. On their next scoring drive, he gave up consecutive catches, the first for 19 yards to put them at the 18-yard-line and then a 9-yard catch. They scored two plays later. On third and one on the Chiefs' final drive, Lawson gave up a 16-yard catch that put them in Las Vegas territory at the 40. Just those plays I mentioned add up to 94 yards for the Chiefs.

Buster: DC Paul Guenther

Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who formerly coached the same unit for the Cincinnati Bengals, reacts to a penalty in the first quarter of a Week 15 NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.
Oakland Raiders At Cincinnati Bengals 12 16 2018

Oh, the number of wide-open receivers in this game. Some can be explained by obvious missed assignments (like the final TD to Kelce), but others aren't so easily explained. Twice in the Chiefs' final drive of the first half, they enjoyed open field to run. First, a play where the running back squirted out of the backfield for an 8-yard catch. Then on third and ten, Patrick Mahomes found so much open field to scramble that he picked up 11 yards. Prioritizing coverage makes sense in third and long, but that was excessive. The first drive of the second quarter featured a head-scratcher of a play as well. The Chiefs lined up in trips right. And the Raiders countered with one defensive back. Three on one. The Raiders are lucky they yielded just nine yards on the play. A few plays later, once again Le'veon Bell squirted out of the backfield and was wide open for an 11-yard gain. The final drive saw Tyreek Hill easily find a soft spot in the zone between linebackers for a ten-yard pickup.