4 Ways the Raiders’ Defense Failed in Loss to Chiefs

By forcing turnovers and putting the quarterback on the ground, the Raiders defense excelled through three weeks. But the Chiefs were able to avoid mistakes and take advantage of Las Vegas’ aggressiveness.

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Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard earned and received plenty of praise for the way the defense played in the first three games of the season. But after beating up bad teams in the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints, the Raiders got a real test against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The Raiders failed.

Containing Kenneth Walker

The Raiders entered Week 4 knowing that they needed to slow down Kenneth Walker. That didn’t happen. The Chiefs running back exploded for 177 yards on the ground.

Late in the third quarter, Walker helped change the game. As both offenses were floundering after halftime, Walker ripped off a 76-yard run to set the Chiefs up in the red zone. Two plays later, Mahomes hit Tyquan Thornton for a touchdown to take the lead.

Walker then helped put Kansas City up by two scores in the fourth quarter with a 22-yard touchdown run.

The Raiders did stuff Walker late in the fourth quarter to get the ball back and give the offense a chance to tie the game. But the explosive plays doomed the defense.

Playing Cover 0

Walker’s big runs were not the only explosive plays for the Chiefs offense. Leonard elected to play Cover 0 multiple times in this game. With no safety deep, Mahomes took advantage.

Three critical Kansas City plays came against Cover 0. Xavier Worthy hauled in a 41 yard pass over cornerback Eric Stokes. That completion set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown. Tyquan Thornton snagged a two-yard touchdown pass by beating Hezekiah Masses, with the help of a rub route. Finally, Thornton got the better of Treydan Stukes for a 55-yard catch to put the Chiefs in position for another touchdown.

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Leonard has been aggressive as the defensive playcaller in Las Vegas. It helped produce a 3-0 start. But Mahomes and the Chiefs ripped it apart on their way to a Week 4 victory.

Lack of Pressure

This should come with an asterisk because of Maxx Crosby. The Raiders defensive star had a team-high eight pressures on Sunday. But no one else really produced.

Quay Walker had a sack and Adam Butler teamed up with Crosby to bring Mahomes down a second time. But only Crosby had more than two pressures in the game, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Raiders were living in the backfield through three weeks with Kwity Paye, Malcolm Koonce and others making constant plays. But Sunday looked a lot like previous seasons, where Crosby is disruptive and no one else shows up.

No Turnovers

The Raiders entered Week 4 leading the NFL in takeaways. Las Vegas came back to beat New Orleans by forcing four turnovers in the fourth quarter alone. But the defense was devoid of any playmaking against Kansas City.

The defense didn’t intercept a pass and didn’t force a fumble. While taking the ball away won’t be necessary to win each week, it certainly makes it much easier.

The Raiders got burned playing aggressive with Cover 0 and never created enough havoc to balance out the Chiefs’ big plays.

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This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 12:12 PM.