Chiefs Survive Late Rally to Beat Raiders 30-27 and Stay Perfect
The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-0 after holding off the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 on Sunday, Oct. 4 at Allegiant Stadium.
Safety Xavier Nwankpa, a deep defensive back, sealed it by intercepting Kirk Cousins with 10 seconds left. The finish closed a back-and-forth Week 4 game that kicked off at 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS NFL.com.
Las Vegas led 13-10 at halftime. The Raiders still led 13-10 going into the fourth quarter. Then Kansas City took over.
Running back Kenneth Walker scored twice in the fourth quarter, including a 22-yard touchdown, to push the Chiefs ahead 30-19 The Guardian. The second score gave Kansas City a 23-19 lead on the way to the final margin. Walker has carried the early load for the Chiefs after arriving from the Seattle Seahawks.
Las Vegas did not go quietly. Cousins hit tight end Brock Bowers for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:46 left. He then found Cody White for a two-point conversion, a single play from the 2-yard line worth two points instead of a kicked extra point, to cut it to 30-27.
Field position mattered late. Chiefs punter Matt Araiza pinned the Raiders at their own 1-yard line. Las Vegas drove from there into a chance to tie or win before Nwankpa stepped in front of Cousins’ final throw ESPN.
The matchup had history behind it. It was the first time the Chiefs and Raiders met with both teams at 3-0 or better. Las Vegas entered 3-0 and left 3-1, while Kansas City stayed perfect.
That is a sharp turn from last season. Kansas City finished 2025 at 6-11. Las Vegas won only three games all of last season. Now the Raiders are led by head coach Klint Kubiak, who was Seattle’s offensive coordinator last season.
Kubiak liked his team’s spot during the game. “We’re winning, we’re going to win the game,” he said on the CBS broadcast.
The quarterbacks told part of the story. Patrick Mahomes entered the late stretch with seven touchdown passes and two interceptions through four games. Walker opened his Kansas City run with rushing games of 173, 117, 70 and 177 yards.
The win came with a cost. Receiver Rashee Rice left with a hamstring issue. Receiver Tyquan Thornton was carted off with a dislocated ankle.
What makes this stand out is how Kansas City won. The run game finished it. The defense closed it. For fans, this means the Chiefs found a road formula even on a day the passing game had to share the work.
