“Kermit Got The Last Laugh”: Fans Go Gaga Over Chiefs’ Crushing Win Against the Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders share an intense rivalry. Their battles have been one-sided since Patrick Mahomes entered the NFL, but that hasn’t stopped the Raiders from poking fun at him. In training camp, Las Vegas players mocked Mahomes’ voice with a Kermit the Frog doll.

Mahomes has admitted he sounds like Kermit. However, that doesn’t mean he takes kindly to being teased about it. Shortly after the incident, he told reporters “it’ll get handled when it gets handled.”

That time was today. In their first matchup of the season, Mahomes unsurprisingly stood on business, helping the Chiefs beat the Raiders 27-20 for their seventh straight victory.

Mahomes completed 71.1% of his passes (27/38) for 262 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on Sunday. It wasn’t an insanely dominant performance, but he overcame an underwhelming rushing attack (2.9 yards per carry) to lift Kansas City to a win. And, as one fan pointed out, he was the one left standing in the end.

The Chiefs’ offense scored on five drives against the Raiders’ defense, but their own defense shouldered responsibility for the win. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit limited Las Vegas’ offense to 228 total yards and produced the game’s two biggest plays.

Following Mahomes’ tipped interception, the Raiders stood just three yards away from the goal line. But Kansas City’s defense stood tall and secured a sack on 4th-and-Goal to keep Las Vegas from taking the lead. Then, on the Raiders’ next drive, they forced a fumble to set up a short field and the offense’s game-winning score. This led some fans to give credit to the Chiefs’ defense and bash Mahomes.

Travis Kelce shines on National Tight End Day

Much was made of Travis Kelce’s slow start to the season. But since Rashee Rice’s season-ending injury in Week 4, Kelce has been true to form. He underwhelmed last week against the San Francisco 49ers – four catches for 17 yards – but torched Las Vegas, recording 10 receptions and 90 yards. He also scored his first touchdown of the season late in the second quarter.

Trade acquisition DeAndre Hopkins saw only three targets in his first game for Kansas City. His presence, though, created a space for Kelce in zone defenses and prevented the Raiders from double-covering Mahomes’ main weapon on a regular basis.

As Hopkins gets more comfortable with Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense, he’ll become more involved in their aerial attack. But for the time being, it’s encouraging to see Mahomes and Kelce rekindle their magic. They won’t be able to win a third consecutive Super Bowl without it.