Raiders at Chiefs - Week 11 - Record: 6-4

In the last seven straight games with the Raiders, the Chiefs have won them all, each by a point total of seven points or less. If you're a Chiefs fan like I am, this would be nirvana, but the nature of sports is always more of a karma thing. Sometime later you'll always get back what you've done to others. If this were the Raiders doing it to us, it'd be pretty unbearable.

Thing is, it really shouldn't have been that close, at least in considering the Raiders as a relatively weak team this year coming in with a 2-7 record. But they are an NFL team and they did have Aaron Brooks back at QB, so it turned out to be another struggle for us.

Behind 13-10 with only a few minutes left, we did get down the field for that go-ahead TD. I just wonder, are we a team that is actually, genuinely clutch, or are we just barely making up for a number of profound deficiencies? Is this 6-4 record really indicative of a winning team? I mean, in the opening moments we ran-- well, I should say, naturally, Larry Johnson ran over the Raiders for a quick TD score.

Then we went as flat as an limp unrolled crepe.

What's the deal? For one, our offensive line is still being held together with paper clips and scotch tape. I don't know, maybe I missed it, but was John Welbourn back in there? That can only help. I also have no idea when Brian Waters is coming back, and my son tells me that Tony Gonzalez may be back next week.

A great thing is that Trent Green was back in there. Sorry, as well as Damon Huard played, gotta go with Green. He was very rusty, but on that last drive today to try to win the game, he showed why he's the #1 guy. That pass he dropped right in Eddie Kennison's lap, precisely where it had to be, was vintage Trent Green.

As for our defense, it looked shaky, overpursuing and running past tackles... in other words, not finishing-- errgh. But ya gotta give it to 'em, they still held the Raiders to 13 points.

And what's with Lawrence Tynes? Double errgh. He can hit a clutch 82-mile field goal to win a game, but he can't hit a 35-yard chip shot that today would've tied it.

This upcoming Thursday, Thanksgiving, we get Denver at home. This'll go a long way to answering that question I asked earlier. Are we for real or are we just fooling everyone?