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    Raiders winners and losers in their 27-20 loss to the Chiefs
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    Raiders winners and losers in their 27-20 loss to the Chiefs

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    6 minutes, 25 seconds Read

    The Raiders played better than expected against the Chiefs on Sunday, but still came up short, losing 27-20 at Allegiant Stadium.

    Las Vegas (2-6) was within one score of Kansas City (7-0) in the fourth quarter when quarterback Gardner Minshew made a mistake running out of the backfield. The Chiefs recovered and scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, giving them a 27-13 lead.

    Before Minshew's mistake, the Raiders' offense wasted incredible field position in the third quarter, including a drive that started at the Chiefs' 3-yard line and resulted in zero points for Las Vegas.

    The Chiefs recovered with an onside kick, officially ending the Raiders' chances. Here are the week's winners and losers after Las Vegas lost for the fourth straight year.

    Winner: WR Jakobi Meyers

    Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers returned after a two-week injury layoff and made a big impact on the Las Vegas offense. He provided a lifeline for Minshew on a big third down play on the Raiders' first drive and finished the job with a touchdown catch.

    Meyers also had a big catch on third down in the second half and ended up catching six balls for 52 yards. His statistics reflect the performance of the Raiders offense. They gained just 228 yards, including a last-second touchdown drive, while trailing by two scores late in the game.

    Winner: S Tre'von Moehrig

    The Raiders had pushed the score to 17-13 when the Chiefs' offense had its back to the goal line thanks to two holding penalties against Kansas City, including a layup by defensive end Maxx Crosby.

    Defensive tackle John Jenkins tipped the ball while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw the ball and Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig grabbed an easy interception and returned the ball to the Chiefs 3-yard line.

    Incredibly, the Raiders offense failed to score on the ensuing drive, but Moehrig continues to be a bright spot on the back end of the Las Vegas defense.

    Winner: CB Jack Jones

    Cornerback Jack Jones was on the forfeit list last week because of poor tackling. This week he was an aggressive tackler and played solid coverage. His effort was echoed by many on the Raiders' defense, keeping Las Vegas in the game for as long as possible.

    Winner: DE Tyree Wilson

    Defensive lineman Tyree Wilson scored a quarterback sack, and for better or worse, that's big news and a big win for Wilson. As a former first-round pick, he is losing snaps to recently acquired free agents. Maybe his win over Mahomes can boost his confidence and lead him to make more impactful plays.

    Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

    Minshew had an early touchdown pass and protected the football for most of the afternoon. But he has gotten off to a good start in a few games this season; It was almost as if you knew that in the worst case scenario he would commit a turnover.

    After Las Vegas held the Chiefs to a field goal midway through the final quarter and took possession of the ball trailing 20-13, it happened when Minshew immediately ran out of the pocket and fumbled the ball to Kansas City.

    At least Minshew didn't turn the ball over four times like he did last week. But considering recently signed QB Desmond Ridder was active today and was on the field for a moment, Minshew's days as a starter may be over, at least for a while.

    Loser: TE Brock Bowers

    Tight end Brock Bowers was a bright spot early in the game and was his usual talented self on Sunday. But as the game progressed, he was outplayed by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

    That's not a big deal, but considering Bowers was leading all tight ends in receptions entering the game, it would have been a nice win for him to surpass Kelce, long considered the league's best at the position. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy needs to better adapt to the defense as the game progresses and get the ball to Bowers, his best player.

    Loser: DE Maxx Crosby

    Crosby appears on the losers list because he loathes the Chiefs more than any other Raiders player in recent memory. He also talks more than most, and while the defense played well, they couldn't quite support Crosby.

    Unfortunately for Crosby, his offense has been subpar and Mahomes and Kelce are just too good most Sundays. Crosby also appeared to call a holding penalty while Mahomes was in the end zone and was not given the benefit of the doubt by the referees.

    Loser: OC Luke Getsy

    The Raiders' offense started hot but gained only 228 yards, including just 33 yards on the ground. Worse, the offense failed to take advantage of incredible field position in the third quarter, ending Las Vegas' chances of winning.

    After a 17-yard punt return by WR DJ Turner and a late score against Kansas City, the Raiders' offense got the ball inside the Chiefs' 30-yard line, trailing just 17-10. They fought for a 1st-and-goal at the 4-yard line but made no further progress and eventually scored a field goal. This trip featured a silly performance by Ridder that resulted in a false start penalty in Las Vegas.

    Moehrig intercepted Mahomes when the Chiefs got the ball back and returned the ball to the Kansas City 3-yard line. Getsy handed the ball off to running back Alexander Mattison three times for a net loss before a fourth pass attempt resulted in a QB sack.

    Loser: offensive line

    It's hard to leave the offense off the losers' list this week, so here they are. They allowed five QB sacks and the running game was terrible. One has to imagine that with just a few more key blocks, Las Vegas could have scored a touchdown on one of Mattison's three rushing attempts near the goal line after Moehirg's interception.

    Offensive tackle Kolton Miller and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson both had several costly penalties as well, including a flag against Miller on the Raiders' first snap of the game.

    Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

    Coach Antonio Pierce prepared his team to play tough against the reigning Super Bowl champions. He's on the loser's list because his abysmal quarterback situation will make it difficult for him to win ballgames this season, not to mention the injuries on defense.

    But it's the quarterback spot more than anything that should have Pierce singing the blues behind the scenes. Even though his team is on the verge of an upset (with the ball trailing by a point midway through the fourth quarter), quarterback play failed him again. Pierce has few options and will have to hope Ridder, just brought in from a practice squad, can deliver. This is a terrible position to be a head coach.

    This game was a big mismatch on paper, but the Raiders did relatively well. However, it's still a loss that further deteriorates their season. It's hard to imagine this team winning many more games no matter how well Pierce motivates his team, but their next chance is next Sunday against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

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