By CNN
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Emotions were running high for the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day as the defending Super Bowl champion suffered a disappointing 20-14 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders that, once again, underlined the team’s offensive woes.
The defeat ensure that Kansas cannot earn the No.1 seed in the AFC and postponed the Chiefs sealing their eighth consecutive AFC West title, as they fell to 9-6.
But it was the manner of the defeat that seemed to provoke frustration. The Raiders scored two defensive touchdowns in seven seconds during the second quarter, while the Chiefs totalled -18 yards in the first quarter, the worst start by any NFL team since 2004.
Tempers flared on the Chiefs sideline in the first half as the cameras caught Patrick Mahomes yelling at his teammates, as well as Travis Kelce hurling his helmet to the ground with such force that it bounced several meters away.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was then seen exchanging words and bumping shoulders with Kelce, later telling reporters that “things happen – emotional game.”
“Trav’s emotional and sometimes my red hair gets to me a little bit, but it all works out,” he added.
Reid denied that frustrations were boiling over as he took “full responsibility” for his team’s offensive performance and said they had “just got to get through this.”
After Mahomes’ heated words on the sideline, the Chiefs got on the scoreboard via a trick play as Isiah Pacheco got the direct snap 12 yards out, faked a handoff to Mahomes, and scored.
But the Raiders’ defense turned the game on its head shortly afterwards, recovering a Pacheco fumble for a Bilal Nichols touchdown. Then, on the very next drive, Jack Jones scored on a pick six off Mahomes for back-to-back defensive touchdowns for the Raiders.
Harrison Butker’s missed field goal only added to the Chiefs’ errors, as did the offensive unit twice failing to convert on a fourth down.
Meanwhile, pop superstar Taylor Swift cheered on Kelce from the stands as she was joined by her family to support the tight end at Christmas.
The Chiefs will now look to rediscover some form before the fast-approaching playoffs as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals on December.
But Mahomes found some cause for optimism after the game, telling reporters that “you see glimpses of us moving the football, you see glimpses of us scoring the redzone.”
“It’s just we haven’t done it enough game in and game out,” he added. “It’s the end of the season, we’ve kind of had one good game, one bad game, one good game, one bad game but we have to be more consistent because when you get to the playoffs you have to string something together.”
