Close enough to make the Chiefs uncomfortable.
asserted
Chiefs → make → ?
Close enough to imagine the AFC West looking different.
asserted
West → imagine → ?
Close enough that their coach went into halftime convinced they were about to prove it.
asserted
they → go → it
But for now, it’s still Kansas City.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
The Chiefs reminded the Raiders of that Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, handing them their first loss of the season in a 30-27 victory and putting a temporary hold on the changing-of-the-guard conversation.
asserted
Chiefs → remind → conversation
A competitive game turned with lightning-like quickness.
asserted
game → turn → quickness
Patrick Mahomes threw 55 yards to Tyquan Thornton to set up Kenneth Walker’s 2-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs up 23-19 with 3:25 left.
asserted
Mahomes → throw → 3:25
And on the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders’ Dareke Young coughed up the ball to the Chiefs, setting up Walker’s 22-yard touchdown run.
asserted
Young → ensue → run
The Raiders ended up cutting the advantage to five on Kirk Cousins’ 20-yard touchdown throw to Brock Bowers, followed by Cousins’ 2-point conversion throw to Cody White.
asserted
Raiders → end → White
They also forced a three-and-out on the Chiefs’ next possession, giving themselves one last chance to mount a game-tying or winning drive.
asserted
They → force → drive
But they stalled when Cousins’ second-down heave was intercepted by Xavier Nwankpa to end the game.
asserted
heave → stall → game
Lesson learned by the Raiders, who squandered all sorts of chances to put the Chiefs in a bigger hole.
asserted
who → learn → hole
Their promising start still means something.
asserted
start → mean → something
So does the fact that they put themselves in position to beat the opponent against whom their progress will inevitably be measured.
asserted
progress → do → whom
But an opportunity to take control of the division became a reminder of how difficult that final step can be.
asserted
step → take → division
Klint Kubiak certainly believed his team was ready to take it.
asserted
team → believe → it
“Gotta be better, but you know what?
asserted
you → got → what
We’re winning.
asserted
We → win → ?
We’re gonna win the game,” the Raiders coach told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime.
asserted
coach → go → halftime
It was a bold declaration, delivered with the Raiders holding a lead and having given their coach reason to believe.
asserted
Raiders → deliver → reason
Kansas City had other ideas.
asserted
City → have → ideas
And that is the part the Raiders still have to solve.
asserted
Raiders → have → ?
Building a team capable of challenging the Chiefs is one assignment.
asserted
Building → build → Chiefs
Finishing the job when the opportunity presents itself is another.
asserted
opportunity → finish → itself
Sunday offered encouragement about the first and frustration about the second.
asserted
Sunday → offer → second
That will sting.
asserted
That → sting → ?
The Raiders had a chance to turn a 3-0 start into something that would demand an entirely different level of attention.
asserted
that → have → attention
At home, against Kansas City, they could have made the strongest argument yet that something substantial is taking shape under Kubiak.
uncertain
something → make → Kubiak
Instead, they left with a loss and the knowledge that this was within reach.
asserted
this → leave → reach
The Raiders appear to be narrowing that distance.
asserted
Raiders → appear → distance
Now comes the work of finding the plays, the execution and the answers that carry them the rest of the way.
asserted
that → come → way
The neighborhood might be changing.
uncertain
neighborhood → change → ?
The sheriff, for now, remains.
asserted
sheriff → remain → ?
Run game still needs help
asserted
game → need → help
The Raiders have given themselves plenty of reasons to believe something is changing.
asserted
something → give → reasons
Their running game keeps giving them a reason to worry.
asserted
game → give → reason
The Raiders had managed just 72 yards on 26 carries.
asserted
Raiders → manage → carries
That is barely more than 2 yards per attempt, a troubling continuation of an issue that their winning start helped soften but never solved.
asserted
start → help → that
For an offense coached by Kubiak and featuring Ashton Jeanty, that is nowhere near good enough.
asserted
that → coach → Jeanty
And against Kansas City, the consequences became harder to ignore.
asserted
consequences → become → City
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
