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Paul Gutiérrez, ESPN writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A lot happened in the final 15 seconds of the Las Vegas Raiders’ heartbreaking 19-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, and it was all bad for the visitors, who lost their eighth straight game. to fall to 2-10 on the season.
Las Vegas nearly upset the Chiefs, who were 13½-point favorites on ESPN BET. After spiked the ball at the Kansas City 32-yard line with 16 seconds left, the Raiders had a third-and-3 and were already within range of kicker Daniel Carlson. Carlson, however, had already missed three field goal attempts in the game from 56, 55 and 58 yards.
Still, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce wanted to run one more play: a pass that would be thrown away so Las Vegas, who was out of timeouts, could eat up more time off the clock before giving the ball back to the Chiefs. and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. .
Instead, disaster struck for the Raiders.
With the Raiders lined up in shotgun and the play clock at 4 seconds, rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson, after being tagged by right guard Dylan Parham, threw the ball to an unsuspecting Aidan O’Connell, and the The ball bounced off the quarterback’s right arm.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton recovered the fumble and that’s when confusion ensued.
Flags waved and at least one referee called a false start, which would have overturned the play and kept possession for the Raiders. Still, they would have lost 5 yards, leaving it on third and 8 with no timeouts and a possible 55-yard field goal attempt.
Instead, after a brief meeting, referee Clay Martin announced that the penalty against the Raiders was for an illegal change, which was rejected by the Chiefs.
Ball game.
Powers-Johnson attributed the failed snap to a “miscommunication” between him and O’Connell.
“I thought he was calling the snap, but I snapped the snap,” Powers-Johnson said. “I have to be better in that situation. We are about to beat a great team and those miscommunications can’t happen. So I’m going to take full responsibility and I’m going to attribute that loss.” me.
“We didn’t fall short. I fell short.”
When asked if home crowd noise was a factor in that last play, Powers-Johnson shook his head.
“It shouldn’t be a factor, so shit’s on me,” he said.
O’Connell, for his part, said it was “completely my fault” when describing the play.
“I was looking to my right to make sure the guys were ready and I started clapping to… get the ball,” said O’Connell, who made his first appearance since Oct. 20 due to a broken thumb. his right hand. . “When I start clapping, that tells Jackson, basically, ‘hit the ball.'”
Replays, however, showed that O’Connell finished clapping two seconds before Powers-Johnson’s cross. The shooting occurred immediately after Parham hit Powers-Johnson.
It was the first game in which O’Connell and Powers-Johnson, moved to center from left guard in Week 9, worked together. O’Connell passed for a career-high 340 yards, completing 23 of 35 attempts with two touchdown passes. He was fired three times.
“I thought they blew the play, so the fumble wouldn’t count,” Powers-Johnson said. “But I guess that wasn’t the case and I kind of lost it and I shouldn’t have lost it. I have to keep my composure.”
Said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who had a sack to end his four-game streak without one: “He was [calling false start]. I’m just saying it was. “I don’t even know what they called or what they said, but that was the first thing I saw.”
Crosby said he couldn’t explain why the game ended that way.
“It can’t be described,” he said. “It’s very disappointing for the guys because it’s like everyone is literally risking their lives… We’re 13½-point underdogs. Nobody believes we can go in and win, and we had them f— “Being on the ropes is very disappointing, so say the least. “But I’m so proud of my teammates that I’m proud to call them my brothers.”
Pierce declined to comment when asked how the final penalty was called and explained it to him. However, he said he was “proud” of his team.
“We fell short once again. That’s what world champions are like,” Pierce said. “It’s been twice now… The record is what it is, but this is a proud team that plays for each other. There is no way to give up. You can’t lower your head or your chin.
“I don’t know what you keep saying after losses, right? Keep fighting. One thing I’m not going to take away from you is the effort and the pride and the way you compete.”
