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3 quick takeaways from Raiders-Chiefs

Three takeaways from the Raiders’ 48-9 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri:

1. The tone was set early

Yannick Ngakoue tried to fire up his teammates by calling them to the Chiefs’ logo at midfield.

Then on the first play from scrimmage, Josh Jacobs was stripped of the ball, the fumble picked up by the Chiefs and returned for a touchdown.

Tyron Johnson then muffed the ensuing kickoff, with the ball rolling out of bounds at the 11. The Raiders picked up a first down before the drive stalled.

The game was far from over at that point, but the Chiefs established control quickly. They never let it go.

2. Beaten every way 

The Raiders couldn’t get much going offensively, totaling 290 yards. Derek Carr was sacked four times. There was no running game to speak of, gaining just 44 yards.

On defense, the Raiders were picked apart by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who in the first half completed 12 of 15 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with 258 passing yards.

The Raiders also were their own worst enemies, committing three turnovers in the first half alone that were converted into three touchdowns. They finished with five giveaways.

The Raiders also committed nine penalties for 85 yards.

3. It’s now about the future

This loss all but decided that the Raiders, now 6-7, won’t be going to the playoffs, which means nearly all attention will turn to the future.

The players will spend the rest of the season auditioning for whoever is the next Raiders coach and, depending on each situation, the NFL’s other 31 teams.

Major changes are coming. Everyone knows it.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.

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