In a stunning turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders saw their upset bid against the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs slip away in the final seconds due to a botched snap. The Raiders, who entered the game as 13.5-point underdogs, had the Chiefs on the ropes and were poised to pull off the improbable victory. But a series of miscues in the game’s waning moments crushed their hopes and left the team devastated.
The Fateful Final Seconds
With just 16 seconds remaining and the Raiders at the Chiefs’ 32-yard line, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Las Vegas would, at worst, attempt a game-winning field goal. The Raiders had fought valiantly all game, and despite kicker Daniel Carlson’s three earlier misses, they were well within his range to secure the victory.
Coach Antonio Pierce, not wanting to leave any time on the clock for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, called for one more pass play. The plan was simple: a quick throw to be immediately followed by a clock-killing spike. Then Carlson could knock through the chip shot field goal as time expired. But what transpired instead will go down as one of the most heartbreaking sequences in Raiders history.
Miscommunication and Mayhem
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell lined up in the shotgun, preparing for the crucial snap. Rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson, after being tapped by right guard Dylan Parham, unleashed the snap. But O’Connell was caught completely off guard. The ball caromed off the unsuspecting quarterback’s arm, bouncing ominously on the turf. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton pounced on the loose ball, and just like that, the Raiders’ upset hopes were dashed.
“I thought he was calling for the snap, I snapped the ball,” a crestfallen Powers-Johnson explained afterward. “I’ve got to be better in that situation. We’re about to beat a really great team and those miscommunications can’t happen. So I’m going to take full responsibility and I put that loss on me.”
O’Connell, making his first appearance since injuring his thumb on Oct. 20, shouldered the blame as well. “It was completely my fault,” the quarterback said. “I was looking out to my right to make sure guys were set and I started clapping to get the ball. When I start clapping, that tells Jackson, basically, ‘Snap the ball.'”
Penalty Confusion Compounds Misery
Compounding the Raiders’ misery was the confusion that followed the fumble. Flags flew and at least one official appeared to signal a false start, which would have negated the play. The Raiders would have maintained possession, albeit facing a 3rd-and-8 from the 37-yard line.
But after a brief conference, referee Clay Martin delivered the gut-wrenching news: the Raiders were flagged for an illegal shift, and the Chiefs wisely declined the penalty. The fumble stood, the Chiefs took over, and the Raiders’ valiant effort ended in the cruelest of fashions.
“He was [calling false start]. I’m just saying, he was,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said of the official. “I don’t even know what they called or whatever they said, but that’s the first thing I saw.”
Pride Amidst the Pain
Despite the devastation of how it ended, Coach Pierce expressed immense pride in his team’s effort. “We came up short yet again. That’s the world champs,” he said. “That’s twice now. The record is what it is, but this is a team that’s prideful, that’s playing for one another. There’s no quit.”
The Raiders, now 2-10 on the season, will look to regroup and finish strong. But the sting of what could have been against the Chiefs will linger. In a game where they did so much right, it was the smallest of details that ultimately unraveled their upset bid in the most heartbreaking way imaginable.
