Embarrassing loss caps disappointing Raiders 2022 season
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders capped a disappointing 2022 NFL season at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, getting embarrassed by their division rival.
In a fitting end to their 2022 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders were blown out by division rival Kansas City inside Allegiant Stadium. The 2022 season for the Silver and Black will go down as a year of ‘what-ifs,’ as they had so many games within reach, and could easily have a flipped record at this point.
Instead, they will once again watch the playoffs from home, as they have been to the postseason only twice since the 2002 season, this after being eliminated last weekend against San Francisco. Playing against Kansas City on Saturday, they had a chance to make a statement, get a win, and keep KC from grabbing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but it was clear early that was not going to be the case.
Patrick Mahomes connected on a 66-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage, setting the stage for what would be a blowout victory for the Chiefs. Until a Hunter Renfrow touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Raiders had mustered only two field goals in the game, as the Chiefs built a 31-6 fourth quarter lead.
With the win, KC grabs the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while the Raiders fall to 6-11.
Raiders have a lot of questions heading into the 2023 offseason
The biggest question for the Raiders going into the offseason is the quarterback position, as Derek Carr is likely to be gone, and the team needs to bring in someone to capitalize on all the talent left on this roster. Davante Adams will be back, but NFL leading rusher Josh Jacobs needs a new contract, and there are so many holes on this defense.
Las Vegas had enough talent to make an impact this season, and the 2022 campaign will go down as one of the more disappointing years in recent memory. Turning the page on Carr after nine seasons will not be an easy task, but it is clear the franchise is ready to move on, so expect the 2023 version of the Silver and Black to look a lot different than the one that left the Allegiant Stadium turf on Saturday.