Raiders push Chiefs to limit but drop first game of season

LAS VEGAS — The Raiders might be closer than they have been in years.Close enough to make the Chiefs uncomfortable.Close enough to imagine the AFC West looking different.

Close enough that their coach went into halftime convinced they were about to prove it.But for now, it’s still Kansas City.The Chiefs reminded the Raiders of that Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, handing them their first loss of the season in a 30-27 victory and putting a temporary hold on the changing-of-the-guard conversation.A competitive game turned with lightning-like quickness.Patrick Mahomes threw 55 yards to Tyquan Thornton to set up Kenneth Walker’s 2-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs up 23-19 with 3:25 left.And on the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders’ Dareke Young coughed up the ball to the Chiefs, setting up Walker’s 22-yard touchdown run.Just like that, a Raiders 19-17 lead was an 11-point deficit.The Raiders ended up cutting the advantage to five on Kirk Cousins’ 20-yard touchdown throw to Brock Bowers, followed by Cousins’ 2-point conversion throw to Cody White.They also forced a three-and-out on the Chiefs’ next possession, giving themselves one last chance to mount a game-tying or winning drive.

But they stalled when Cousins’ second-down heave was intercepted by Xavier Nwankpa to end the game.Point made by the Chiefs.Lesson learned by the Raiders, who squandered all sorts of chances to put the Chiefs in a bigger hole.The Raiders are 3-1.Their promising start still means something.

So does the fact that they put themselves in position to beat the opponent against whom their progress will inevitably be measured.But an opportunity to take control of the division became a reminder of how difficult that final step can be.Klint Kubiak certainly believed his team was ready to take it.“Gotta be better, but you know what? We’re winning.We’re gonna win the game,” the Raiders coach told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime.It was a bold declaration, delivere...