Chiefs edge Raiders 19-17 in wild finish with botched snap drama
The Kansas City Chiefs secured a 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in a Black Friday NFL game that left fans buzzing about a botched snap and an officiating decision that changed the outcome. With just seconds left on the clock, the Raiders were moving confidently, poised for a potential game-winning field goal, before disaster struck.
Everything was going right for the Raiders as they marched down the field in the closing minute. Aidan O’Connell was in the zone, completing five straight passes and moving his team into field goal range at the Chiefs’ 32-yard line. The upset was there for the taking. But then came the spike, the snap, and… absolute disaster.
Rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball before O’Connell was ready. The ball hit the turf, and in the chaos, the Chiefs recovered. At first, it looked like a false start would give the Raiders another chance, but nope—the refs huddled up, talked it out and changed the call to an illegal shift. That meant the play—and the fumble—stood. Chiefs ball. Game over.
The miscommunication between O’Connell and Powers-Johnson was rooted in timing. O’Connell was still lining up his guys, clapping his hands to signal urgency. Right guard Dylan Parham tapped Powers-Johnson as a cue to snap the ball, something they’ve done before when the crowd noise is deafening.
But O’Connell wasn’t ready, and Powers-Johnson snapped anyway. The rookie did what he was trained to do, but it couldn’t have gone worse.
O’Connell didn’t shy away from the blame, saying:
“The clock was running down. I was trying to get the guys lined up. It’s completely my fault. … Jackson did exactly what he should’ve done. … And then it’s just how the football bounces sometimes. It didn’t go our way.”
When the snap happened, a ref threw a flag and signaled a false start. That should’ve stopped the play right there. But after the officials got together, they ruled it an illegal shift instead.
Why does that matter? A false start is a dead-ball penalty, meaning the play doesn’t count. But in an illegal shift, the play keeps going, which let the Chiefs recover the fumble and kill the clock.
The side judge blew his whistle before the Chiefs even grabbed the ball. Technically, a fumble recovery can still count if it’s part of “continuing action,” but in this case, both teams were diving for the ball, and some players stopped after hearing the whistle. Was it a “clear recovery”? That’s debatable.
Raiders players voiced their frustrations but maintained pride in their team’s effort. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller described the chaotic sequence:
“From my vantage point, I looked back and there was a pile … and I see what looks to be the false start signal, but there was a conversation. … Granted it shouldn’t have happened, between center and QB, whatever happened there.”
Defensive star Maxx Crosby shared his heartbreak:
“It’s so disappointing for the guys because it’s like, everyone out there is literally putting their life on the line. … No one believed we could go in there and win, and we had them right on the ropes. … I’m so proud of my teammates.”
Even head coach Antonio Pierce seemed at a loss for words:
“Last play, there was a lot going on. Officiating to the flags to the ball being snapped.”
The Raiders are now staring down their eighth straight loss, and this one stings more than most. They came into the game as massive underdogs and had the defending Super Bowl champs sweating in their own stadium.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs stay atop the AFC, but let’s not pretend this was a clean win. They walked away with the NFL Black Friday win, but the refs played as big a role as anyone on the field.
After the game, the NFL provided clarification on this ruling. A league spokesman explained,
“Had the clock been running at the snap, then by rule an illegal shift would convert to a false start. Since the clock was stopped (spike on the second-down play), an illegal shift is a live ball foul”
So, did the refs save the day? Depends on who you ask. But one thing’s clear: this finish is going to be talked about for a long, long time.
Image: © Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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