The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, in dominant fashion on Sunday afternoon to move to 4-3 on the season.
Here are some quick notes from the win.
1. The Chiefs recorded their first regular-season shutout since 2011.
Kansas City held the Raiders scoreless on Sunday, marking the Chiefs' first regular-season shutout since – ironically – doing so against the Raiders way back in 2011.
Overall, it was the Chiefs' second shutout under Head Coach Andy Reid, and their first since yielding zero points to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the 2015 postseason.
2. Kansas City held Las Vegas to just three first downs throughout the entire game.
The Raiders managed just three first downs on Sunday, tallying the fewest first downs for any team in a single game since the 2008 season. It was just the fifth time since 2000 that a team picked up three or fewer first downs in a regular-season game.
Additionally, Las Vegas' 30 offensive plays on Sunday marked the second-fewest by a team in the Super Bowl Era. Only the Cleveland Browns, who ran 28 plays in Week 1 of the 1999 season, tallied fewer.
3. The Chiefs outgained Las Vegas by 339 yards.
Kansas City held the Raiders to just 95 offensive yards on Sunday, recording only the fifth defensive performance over the last three seasons in which an opponent amassed fewer than 100 yards from scrimmage. In fact, after briefly entering Kansas City territory on their opening drive, the Raiders never played on the Chiefs' side of the field over the course of their final nine possessions.
Among games since 2000 that featured a defense holding the opposition to zero points and three or fewer first downs, the Chiefs' 339-yard advantage was the third-largest disparity in that span. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars (a 396-yard advantage vs. the Browns in 2000) and the Atlanta Falcons (a 376-yard advantage vs. the Raiders in 2008) put together larger margins.
Through Week 7, the Chiefs now own the No. 3 scoring defense in the NFL at 17.7 points allowed-per-game.
4. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes continued his MVP-caliber season.
Mahomes was on fire once again on Sunday, completing 26-of-35 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Through Week 7, he continues to lead the NFL in total offensive touchdowns with 18.
Additionally, since Week 4, Mahomes ranks second in the NFL in passing yards (1,131) and third in passing touchdowns (11). Mahomes has thrown for at least 270 yards and three touchdowns in three of the four games in that span.
5. Mahomes spread the ball around to nine different receivers on Sunday.
Nine different receivers caught a pass on Sunday, hitting that mark for the second time this year. Mahomes also spread the ball around to exactly nine pass-catchers in the Chiefs' Week 4 victory over Baltimore, and over the last four weeks, Mahomes has completed at least one pass to no fewer than eight receivers.
Among that group, eight players recorded at least 14 receiving yards in the game, matching the most for any team in a single game this season.
6. Wide receiver Rashee Rice had a season-debut to remember.
Rice, in his first regular-season game in over a calendar year, hauled in a team-high seven catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. His team-most 10 targets were twice as many as the next-closest player.
It was a welcome performance from Rice, who led the NFL in catches (24) and ranked second in receiving yards (288) through Week 3 of last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
7. The Chiefs recorded four straight touchdown drives to begin the game.
Mahomes led Kansas City on four consecutive touchdown drives to open the game, engineering scoring marches of 92 yards, 84 yards, 94 yards and 65 yards.
The Chiefs began the game by going 8-of-9 on third down, and in total, Kansas City's 434 offensive yards were its second-most of the season. The caveat, obviously, is that the Chiefs amassed the vast majority of that production through the first three quarters before adjusting the game plan with the result in-hand.
8. Patrick Mahomes broke another NFL record.
Mahomes won his 93rd career regular-season game on Sunday, passing Peyton Manning for the most quarterback wins by a player at age 30 or younger in NFL history.
Mahomes is now 93-26 in his career during the regular-season.
9. The Chiefs have now scored 28+ points in four straight games.
Kansas City is the only team in the NFL to tally four straight games with 28+ points, and during that span, the Chiefs have topped 30 points in three of those four games.
Since Week 4, the Chiefs lead the NFL in average yards-per-game at 411.8.
10. Kansas City has won four of its last five games.
The Chiefs have now won four of their last five games after beginning the year 0-2, and following Sunday's victory, Kansas City has a winning record – at 4-3 – for the first time this season.
Kansas City is actually ahead of its pace when compared to the last time it got off to a slow start in 2021, when the Chiefs started 3-4 before eventually topping the .500 mark in Week 9, and now with a matchup against the Washington Commanders on deck, Kansas City will aim for its third win in a row on Monday Night Football.
