Travis Kelce scores four TDs as Chiefs rally to defeat Raiders on MNF. Here is what we learned. (2024)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — That’s why you kick the extra point, instead of going for two and the win.

That’s the easy conclusion to draw from the end of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 30-29 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on “Monday Night Football” at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels made the decision to go for two after quarterback Derek Carr threw a 48-yard touchdown to star receiver Davante Adams in the fourth quarter.

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who was on a tear with 133 yards rushing and a touchdown, was stuffed up the middle on the pivotal play that allowed the Chiefs to hang onto a one-point lead in the final minutes.

Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdowns to star tight end Travis Kelce and the Chiefs came back from a 17-point deficit in the first half to defeat the Raiders.

“To me, it helps because you just don’t know how guys are going to respond. We have a lot of the same players that have been in some deficit games. At the same time, we have a lot of new guys as well,” Mahomes said.

“So, for guys to respond and keep battling, no matter we were down 17 points and we can fight back from anything, that’s what you want to see out of a great football team.”

The Chiefs improved to 4-1 this season, while the Raiders fell to 1-4.

NFL Week 5 winners and losers: Cowboys, Eagles set up huge NFC East showdown next week

32 things we learned in Week 5: New York, New York on the rise

4th & Monday: Our NFL newsletter always brings the blitz

Here’s what we learned:

Player of the game:Travis Kelce

How’s this for a statistical line?

Four touchdowns on seven catches for just 25 yards.

Yeah, it happened.

And it was Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who delivered.

Mahomes consistently looked for his star offensive weapon in the end zone, and it propelled the Chiefs to a comeback win against the Raiders.

Kelce’s game will be remembered more for the four touchdowns than the overall stat line. Still, it’s comical to see a player be so productive without the yardage.

“I knew when he caught the fourth one that it was the fourth one,” Mahomes said as he held four fingers up in the air after the play.

“I didn’t realize he had seven catches for four touchdowns.”

Chiefs’ big turning point of the game

The Chiefs had a 24-23 lead early in the fourth quarter, and appeared prime to kick a field goal and extend their lead to four points.

But a unique penalty was called in Kansas City’s favor: A holding call by the Raiders defense as the Raiders lined up for a kick.

The penalty gave the Chiefs a new set of downs, and set the stage for Mahomes to throw his fourth touchdown pass to Kelce with 7:25 left in the game.

Maybe, it was a makeup call for the Chiefs and their fans after the controversial roughing-the-passer call they incurred during the first half.

Raiders nearly had another chance to win

The Raiders nearly got into field goal position in the final minute.

Carr found Adams for what could’ve been a 16-yard completion that could’ve gotten into Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson's range with 47 seconds left.

But the catch was ruled incomplete. Adams was in disbelief when the referee gave him a rundown of the review.

And on the Raiders’ final play, Adams collided downfield with receiver Hunter Renfrow, ending Las Vegas’ chances for a comeback.

As for going for two earlier, Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said: “I felt like in that situation, they had a lot of momentum offensively in the second half and we had a play that we felt really good about. I thought they would give us a look that gave a shot at it for sure. We had a chance. … Just trying to be aggressive, trying to win the game. I know it was four and a half or whatever the time was, but our team felt good about it and just felt like that was the right call at the right time.”

Derek Carr throws his 200th career touchdown

On 4th-and-1 in the first quarter, the Raiders went for it. And it paid off.

Carr found Adams for a 58-yard touchdown to help Las Vegas take an early 7-0 lead.

The touchdown was the 200th in Carr’s nine-year NFL career.

And it was to Adams, his college teammate who starred alongside at Fresno State University.

Controversial moment of the game

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones was penalized for roughing the passer after falling on top of Carr just before halftime.

Carr was in the process of winding up for a pass when the ball was dropping to the ground as a fumble. Jones reached for the football and secured it while falling on top of Carr on the way to the ground.

The penalty allowed the Raiders to extend their drive at the end of the first half to set up a 5-yard field goal by kicker Daniel Carlson to take a 20-10 lead into halftime.

“I get it. I get it. I’m not saying the ref was wrong. I’m saying that those situations can affect the game tremendously, especially if you’re in a playoff, a critical situation like that, a game-changing play,” Jones said.

“We have to take initiative as a league and see what we can do better from it.”

The NFL’s roughing the passer penalty has come under scrutiny since future Hall of Famer Tom Brady had one called in his favor in a win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Falcons defender Grady Jarrett was practically sitting on the field when he pulled Brady to the ground in what many believed was a routine tackle, before referees penalized him for the play.

Raiders star WR in controversy postgame, too

Adams apologized after the game for pushing someone on the field while heading to the locker room when time expired.

Adams apologized in the locker room postgame, and on social media.

“Sorry to the guy I pushed over after the game,” Adams wrote on Twitter. “Obviously very frustrated at the way the game ended and when he ran infront of me as I exited that was my reaction and I felt horrible immediately. Thats not me..MY APOLOGIES man hope you see this.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs rally for win over Raiders on 'Monday Night Football'