Three numbers that mattered in Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-13 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Here are three numbers that helped determine the result in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-13 road win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.
5
The Chiefs set the tone for the game with a play on their first drive.
Patrick Mahomes found Justin Watson deep down the sideline for a 67-yard pass — the team’s longest offensive play of the season — to set up a touchdown and 7-0 lead.
That one pass alone was worth five expected points according to the win-probability numbers at rbsdm.com, which made it the most valuable snap of the game. It also lifted KC’s expected odds of winning from 74% before the throw to 87% afterward.
1.5 million
When Chiefs general manager Brett Veach traded receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, he was betting that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be fine this season while spreading the ball around more to different weapons.
Saturday’s game showed perhaps the best representation of that blueprint working.
The Chiefs’ four touchdowns were scored by Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones, Kadarius Toney and Isiah Pacheco. Out of those four, the highest-paid player is Jones, who signed a free-agent deal in the offseason for $1.5 million.
McKinnon signed before the year at a $1.035 million base salary, while Toney and Pacheco are still on rookie contracts that pay them less than $1 million annually.
6
KC’s defense bugged Las Vegas QB Jarrett Stidham all day with help from a mixture of secondary blitzes and four-man rushes getting home.
In the end, the Chiefs combined for six sacks — with Chris Jones getting 2 1/2 and Mike Danna adding two — as part of a havoc-filled performance.
Juan Thornhill grabbed an interception, while Danna forced two fumbles, with George Karlaftis recovering one.
That defensive effort helped the Chiefs win the turnover battle, 2-0, as part of a dominant outing overall.
This story was originally published January 7, 2023 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Three numbers that mattered in Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-13 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders."
