Derek Carr outplayed Patrick Mahomes to exorcise his Arrowhead Stadium demons, and the Las Vegas Raiders ended a seven-game losing streak in Kansas City with a 40-32 upset win over the Chiefs.
The Raiders improved to 3-2 as they enter their bye week, while the defending Super Bowl champions, who were 11-point favorites, fell to 4-1 with their first loss since Nov. 10, 2019.
Carr, who entered the game having lost all six of his career games at Kansas City by an average score of 17 points, engineered an efficient ball-control offense that showed just enough explosiveness to keep the Chiefs honest. Carr completed 22 of 31 passes for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 126.7. Carr, who also had two key QB sneaks to convert first downs, became the first Raiders quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards at Arrowhead Stadium since Rich Gannon passed for 334 there in a 20-10 loss on Oct. 27, 2002.
The Raiders’ offense was buoyed by the return of speedy rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III, who missed the previous two games with hamstring and knee issues, and right tackle Trent Brown, who had only played in the first series of the season opener because of a right calf injury.
Carr had first-half touchdown passes of 59 and 72 yards to Nelson Agholor and Ruggs, respectively. He also hit Ruggs (two catches, 118 yards) for a 46-yard pickup.
Running back Josh Jacobs had two touchdown runs, and the Raiders led the time-of-possession battle by more than nine minutes with 6:34 to play.
A rested Las Vegas defense, criticized mightily of late, was able to keep Mahomes in check. With more than six minutes to play, the Chiefs quarterback had taken 21 pressures, the second most of his career. Mahomes finished with 340 yards passing, completing 22 of 43 attempts for two touchdowns and his first interception of the season.
This was the first time Carr was at Arrowhead Stadium in a game not played in December or January.