Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Mike Hughes trots into the end zone for a touchdown on December 12, 2021.
We had ourselves a good old-fashioned blowout in Week 14 as the Kansas City Chiefs demolished the division rival Las Vegas Raiders.
The final score of 48-9 was worse than the first go-around (41-14) and this game was virtually over at halftime with a deficit of 35-3.
In other words, the red-hot Chiefs express bypassed the station and blasted straight through to Week 15. All three factions of the roster were firing on all cylinders and the defense finished with their third-straight nine-point performance.
Supposedly, the unit had a little bit of extra motivation in this one.
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Secondary Shows up for Their Brother
After the game, safety Tyrann Mathieu tweeted out a dedication to an absent teammate.
Sneed that was for you and the family!!!!
“Sneed that was for you and the family!!!!” Voiced the team leader. The cornerback was inactive on Sunday after the death of his oldest brother, Tqarontarion Dcortez “TQ” Harrison.
In case you missed it, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star detailed the news on December 11. “Some sad news to share,” he reported, “TQ Harrison, the oldest brother of Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, was killed last night in their hometown of Minden, Louisiana. Sneed, in this story he shared last month, credited Harrison with raising him until he was [six] years old.”
Juan Thornhill seconded Mathieu’s tribute, tweeting: “That was for our brotha Sneed.”
That was for our brotha Sneed ✊🏽❤️
During the postgame press conference, his direct replacement Mike Hughes also commented on the secondary’s motivation in Week 14. “Before the game, we said that we were going to play for him,” the cornerback said per McDowell.
Mike Hughes on L’Jarius Sneed: “Before the game, we said that we were going to play for him.”
Head coach Andy Reid also gave his thoughts on the matter, relayed via McDowell. “Our hearts go out to him. Great kid. Our locker room is grieving with him,” the Chiefs HC stated.
Andy Reid on L’Jarius Sneed: Our hearts go out to him. Great kid. Our locker room is grieving with him.
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Dedication Was a Masterpiece
Outside of slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, the Chiefs secondary totally shut down this Raiders offense. The rest of the Vegas wide receiver room accumulated just eight catches for 68 yards and tight end Foster Moreau was held for 13 yards off three receptions.
It was another tough day at the office for quarterback Derek Carr, no different than the first meeting at Allegiant Stadium. Sure, he was without playmaker Darren Waller but the single-digit total was more of a whimper than a rallying cry.
Plenty of Arrowhead love for #Chiefs L’Jarius Sneed and family ♥️
The lone interception went to Mathieu but Daniel Sorensen was credited with two passes defended while the Honey Badger was credited with one.
The pass-rush pitched in too, as a team effort racked up four sacks and hassled Carr throughout. Alex Okafor led the way with 1.5 sacks, but this was a truly unselfish showing from the unit. Tershawn Wharton, Melvin Ingram III, Frank Clark and Chris Jones joined forces for the remaining 2.5.
As for Hughes, Sneed’s substitute stepped up in a big way. The corner led the Chiefs in tackles with eight solo stops (nine total) and his early fumble recovery for a touchdown gave KC a ton of juice, putting them up 7-0 straight out of the gates.
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Chiefs Defense Dedicates Raiders Rout to Missing Teammate