The Chiefs receive an incredibly lucky Black Friday gift with their undeserved victory over the Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs’ prime-time win over the Las Vegas Raiders should normally be cause for celebration, regardless of the overall record. However, the Chiefs’ 19-17 win over the Raiders was so miserable that even the biggest Chiefs homer fan out there has to feel more lucky than confident.

The Raiders had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs, but a bizarre sequence that ultimately ended in a Daniel Carlson field goal attempt resulted in his third missed shot of the game. Kansas City got the ball back but failed to run out the clock and kicked the ball back to the Raiders.

After more big plays from standout rookie tight end Brock Bowers, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell finally managed to get a snap within field goal range to seal the win for the Chiefs. Kansas City got to 11-1 and the Raiders fell to 2-10.

If you didn’t know the score of the game and were asked to pick the 11-1 team, it would have been almost impossible. The Chiefs’ win was a Pyrrhic one, as their last two wins required incredible last-second luck against some of the worst teams in football.

The Raiders won the battle of possession, holding Kansas City and their abysmal offensive line to just one touchdown at home and outgaining them by over 100 yards. The Raiders really should have won this game, despite special teams mistakes and some strange coaching decisions from Antonio Pierce.

Fans often try to minimize the impact of such games by saying that championship teams find ways to win when things aren’t going right. That’s true, but doesn’t apply here. The Chiefs begged on their hands and knees for the Raiders to win this game, but they wouldn’t take it. The Raiders’ biggest mistakes were all self-inflicted.

The Chiefs are still the favorites to win the AFC, and the fact that Mahomes and Andy Reid are there removes any concerns about the big picture. However, when it comes to their chances of winning another Super Bowl, the record doesn’t reflect the quality of this team. They are much less powerful and buttoned up than in previous title runs.