Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) is stopped by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, right, while getting a push by teammate Wanya Morris (64) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Las Vegas got a pair of defensive touchdowns for the second straight week, including a pick-6 of the struggling Patrick Mahomes, and the resurgent Raiders held off the sloppy Kansas City Chiefs 20-14 on Monday to keep their slim NFL post-season hopes alive.
Big defensive tackle Bilal Nichols returned a fumble eight yards for a touchdown, and Jack Jones took an interception 33 yards for another score seven seconds later, helping the Raiders (7-8) snap a six-game losing streak to the Chiefs. The Raiders have five defensive TDs this season, their most since 2005.
Kansas City (9-6) squandered an opportunity to clinch the AFC West for the eighth consecutive year with one of their worst performances of the Mahomes era.
The Chiefs still had a chance after Mahomes hit Justin Watson for a touchdown with 2:42 to go. But on the ensuing possession, the Raiders’ Zamir White got loose for a 43-yard gain, picking up a first down that allowed them to run out the clock.
Mahomes finished 27-of-44 for 235 yards and an interception.
Aidan O’Connell was 9-of-21 for 62 yards, never completing a pass after the first quarter, while White had 145 yards on the ground. Malcolm Koonce had three sacks for the Raiders.
Elsewhere in the NFL on Christmas Monday:
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RAVENS 33 49ERS 19
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes in a span of 18 seconds in the third quarter and Baltimore intercepted Brock Purdy four times in a victory over San Francisco.
Jackson and the Ravens (12-3) turned a highly anticipated matchup between the top two teams in the NFL into a lopsided win with strong performances on both sides of the ball.
Kyle Hamilton and the defence set the tone early by intercepting Purdy on three of the 11-4 49ers’ first four drives.
Jackson threw for 252 yards, ran for 45 more and vaulted past Purdy to become the MVP favourite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Purdy is the first 49ers quarterback to throw four interceptions in a game since Colin Kaepernick in 2015. He finished 18-for-32 for 255 yards before getting replaced by Sam Darnold.
San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey running for 102 yards and a TD and adding 28 yards receiving. He set a franchise record with his eighth straight game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
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EAGLES 33 GIANTS 25
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Jalen Hurts scored on the “tush push” that gave him the NFL record for most rushing scores by a quarterback in a season, threw for a touchdown, and Philadelphia (11-4) snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over New York.
Adoree’ Jackson gave the Giants (5-10) a spark when he returned an interception 76 yards for a major and Saquon Barkley converted a two-point conversion that made it 20-18 late in the third quarter.
But the Eagles put it away in the fourth on D’Andre Swift’s five-yard touchdown run and a pair of field goals by Jake Elliott.
New York’s Tyrod Taylor connected with Darius Slayton for a 69-yard TD late in the fourth that made it 30-25. Taylor was picked off in the end zone on the final play of the game.
Hurts scored his 15th rushing TD of the season on a one-yard “tush push” early in the first quarter that gave him the most for a QB in a season in NFL history. Carolina’s Cam Newton held the record with 14 in 2011.
Hurts threw a 36-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith for a 17-3 lead that gave him 35 total touchdowns this season, tying the team’s season record.
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