Andersen Boots 35-Yarder To Beat Raiders

By all accounts, the Chiefs should be able to beat the Raiders with relative ease. On paper, Kansas City is better than Oakland in every department and the Chiefs were at home. But coming into yesterday’s game, the 86-game series was dead even. Both teams had 42 wins and there were two ties. So its safe to say that beating the Raiders–no matter how you do it–is a job well done. That was the case for the Chiefs in a 27-24 victory yesterday. The chiefs jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to touchdown runs from Derrick Blaylock and Priest Holmes in the first quarter. The teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter and the Chiefs led 21-7 at the break. Kansas City didn’t get into the end zone the rest of the day. In the fourth, Oakland made it 24-21 with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Rick Mirer to Jerry Rice. Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 41-yard field goal to tie it later in the fourth quarter. But the Chiefs had to be feeling pretty good about just allowing a field goal. Phillip Buchanon ripped off his helmet after returning a punt to the Chiefs 27-yard line. That moved Oakland back to the 42-yard line. The Chiefs proceeded to drive 38 yards in seven plays as Morten Andersen booted a 35-yarder with four seconds to go to give the Chiefs the lead. It was Andersen’s 31st game-winning field goal of his career. Priest Holmes finished the game with 91-yards rushing and 100 yards receiving. It was Dick Vermeils 100th regular-season victory and it gave the Chiefs a 10-1 record. They have a four game lead over Denver and can clinch the AFC West with a win and a Denver loss next week.