The endless penalties--27 of them for both teams--multiple replays especially in the clusterf*ck that was the end of the first half--provided this game with no continuity. Whatever both teams managed to do well was in spike of the refereeing.
However, this game was lost when the Chiefs permitted the second half kick off to be run back for a touchdown, followed by what ESPN commentator Easterbrook calls a "Krumble"--a fumble of the ensuing kick off back to the having just scored kicking team. Even though the Raiders got no points from that, it showed that the Chiefs had allowed the game to get into their head and were not playing smart, mistake free football like they need to in order to win.
To me, everything that followed came out of that. In fact, to me, the whole game looked like two young teams struggling to play their first really meanful "pressure" game. The winner would be the first to become stable under pressure. the Chiefs had allowed the game to get into their head and were not playing smart, mistake free football like they need to in order to win.
Jason Campbell and Jacoby Ford were among the first two players to cool down and perform under stress. The work they did down the stretch of the forth quarter and in the OT made the ultimate difference as the Raiders won the game 23-20 in OT.
The loss leaves the Chiefs still atop the division at 5-3 but exposes the fact that they are not quite ready for the NFL elite. They are not as good as some thought they were. There is a lot to like about this young team, but they are not quite there yet.
The next game is at Denver. I wouldn't call it a must win, but a "really like to win."
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