On the latest episode of the Arrowhead Pride Out of Structure podcast, we reviewed the Kansas City Chiefs’ 41-14 blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.
Listen to the podcast above or by clicking here (it’s also on Spotify).
Before answering your questions from Twitter, we dove into the statistics and took a closer look at three different statistics resulting from the big win.
Darrel Williams’ receiving line
The Chiefs’ current starting running back, Darrel Williams, had an incredible box score against the Raiders, totaling 144 yards — including a career day and a record-setting performance in the receiving game.
.@darrelwilliams_ became the first tailback in Chiefs’ history to tally 9+ catches, 100+ receiving yards and a receiving TD in a single game last night.
What a game for Darrel.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) November 15, 2021
Not only did Williams do his best Randy Moss impression with a touchdown catch over Raiders safety Jonathan Abram, but he was also very efficient as a check-down option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He took advantage of a screen pass early in the game for more than 20 yards.
His usage points to Mahomes’ increased willingness to take the check-down in the offense’s rhythm; that tendency could be an even more significant advantage when running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire — a much better player at avoiding tackles in open space — returns from injury.
Great pass protection
The Chiefs’ offensive line has been more celebrated for their run blocking than their pass blocking this season — but their performance against a daunting Las Vegas pass rush was both surprising and impressive.
#Raiders had no sacks for 1st time this season and had a season-low 3 hits on the QB. They came into the week leading NFL with 8.5 QB hits per game
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 15, 2021
Right tackle Andrew Wylie held his own against defensive end Maxx Crosby, who led the NFL in pressures entering the game. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. looked great defending the speed of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who was towards the top of the list in pressures as well.
Mahomes’ improved performance also helped his offensive tackles; he negated a few of their pressures by throwing the ball within the timing of his dropback.
Chiefs’ third-down defense
Over the three-game winning streak, the Chiefs’ defense has been good — but it has been excellent on third down.
#Chiefs held Raiders and Packers to a combined 3/21 on 3rd down conversion attempts last two weeks, a 14% success rate
— Ron Kopp Jr. (@Ron_Kopp) November 15, 2021
The Chiefs yielded a grand total of 9 (!!) yards on third down last night, which are the fewest for any team on third down in a game this season.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) November 15, 2021
The Chiefs held the Raiders to one conversion on nine third-down attempts. Against the Packers, they allowed two conversions on 12 attempts. Three weeks ago, the Chiefs held the Giants to four conversions on 12 attempts. In total, they’ve allowed seven conversions on 33 third-down attempts in the three-game span — a success percentage of 21%.
A combination of the improved pass rush and better plays in coverage are getting the Chiefs off the field on third downs.
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