Throughout much of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated their competition. In 2024, however, the Chiefs have strung together a remarkable run of close wins, with nine of their 11 victories coming by a single score of more. Kansas City has made a habit of pulling out games in incredibly unexpected ways, and Friday's 19–17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders may be their pièce de résistance.
Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell engineered a promising two-minute drill, driving the Raiders from their own 8-yard line into field goal range. On a third-and-3 from the Chiefs' 32-yard line with 15 seconds left, center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball early to an unprepared O'Connell, hitting him in the chest. The Kansas City defense recovered, and after a lengthy discussion among the officials, the play was ruled a turnover, sealing the game for the Chiefs.
