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

Another prime-time game for our team. As up-and-down as we've been so far this year, as much as the heaviness whatever-it-is weighs on this fine team, we are a national television draw. Mahomes is still a marquee caliber player. This offense is still Hollywood spectacular quality.

For the first time it really looked as though Andy Reid was in the best form calling a football game. For the first time this season I'm sure we all got the feeling this team was being coached and our players were making the plays as they should be. 

Mahomes was doing more to simply step up in the pocket and hang there for just that tick more to get that throw to his receiver. He was doing less drifting -- when he does it is still messy. When it is planned, like his rollout to get their second touchdown, it is great! When he gets those short routes available to him, it is great! Williams, Pringle, of course Kelce were the main beneficiaries, very nice to see all of that making for very nice, long, multi-play drives.

Also nice to see more of those bang-bang plays, quick throws from Mahomes, tonight showcased by that quick TD sling on 4th-&-goal to Noah Gray who'd just dropped two passes. 

Thing is, Mahomes has just got to take something off when heaving his deep passes. He had a number of shots way down the field that just sailed.

Much kudos to the other parts of our game tonight. Our O-line did a terrific job of protecting our quarterback as well as getting our backs grinding. Andrew Wylie even did a terrific job of neutralizing their fine DE Maxx Crosby.

Darrel Williams had a phenomenal night, highlighted by an amazing catch at the end zone! I think he really wanted to make up for his drop back in the Super Bowl on that amazing Mahomes pass while he was in the air vertical.

Our defense also did fine work. It seems as though the pickup of Melvin Ingram has been a difference maker, but it is mostly Steve Spagnuolo just getting his players in the right places doing the things they do best. I think everyone agrees the Chris Jones-at-DE was an unsuccessful experiment. Juan Thornhill playing regularly is key, Rashad Fenton being given substantive playing time has been key. Willie Gay and Nick Bolton anchoring the front seven has been key. There were other contributors -- Jarran Reed for example, he had his first real impact game.

Overall it may just be the case that our poor play up to this point has lit a fire under these guys, moving them to realize they can't just rely on the raw talent. The way it looked out there tonight their extra work paid off.

If you can believe it, this team is now in first place. The Chargers at 5-4, Broncos at 5-5, and Raiders now at 5-4 have just been sputtering and we're looking revitalized. We'll take it.

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Both images are from Steve Sanders at the official Chiefs website. Thank you.

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