OAKLAND – The Raiders hadn’t played truly meaningful December football in years. Sunday was such an instance, the first since a 2011 campaign that ended just short of a postseason.
A critical clash with Kansas City had playoff implications for both, though it was a virtual must-win for the Raiders.
The Raiders’ road to the postseason could be considered unlikely, but most every realistic scenario included a victory over the Chiefs on Sunday at O.co Coliseum.
They didn’t get one.
Key turnovers cost the Raiders a fourth-quarter lead and prompted a 34-20 loss to the rival Chiefs that dropped the Raiders to 5-7 and further behind in the AFC.