The las vegas raiders vs kansas city chiefs match player stats from January 4, 2026 tell the story of a defensive slugfest that came down to the final seconds. Daniel Carlson drilled a career-long 60-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining to lift the Raiders to a 14-12 victory over Kansas City, snapping a brutal 10-game losing streak. Carlson nailed four field goals total, while rookie Ashton Jeanty carried the load with 87 rushing yards on 26 attempts in the season finale at Allegiant Stadium.
Table of contents
- Final Score and Game Overview
- Kicking Stats: Field Goal Battle Decides Game
- Rushing Stats: Jeanty’s Rookie Record Performance
- Passing Stats: Quarterback Carousel on Both Sides
- Receiving Stats: Limited Production in Defensive Struggle
- Defensive Stats: Raiders Dominate Up Front
- Team Statistical Comparison
- Season Context and Implications
- Injury Report
- Historical Significance
- Coaching Futures
- Key Takeaways from Player Stats
- Bottom Line
Final Score and Game Overview
Las Vegas Raiders 14, Kansas City Chiefs 12
Date: January 4, 2026
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 61,780
Weather: 60°F, 15 mph S winds
This Week 18 matchup featured two teams playing out the string with backup quarterbacks and missing key personnel. The Raiders (3-14) secured their first victory against the Chiefs (6-11) at Allegiant Stadium, while also ending an 11-game skid against AFC West opponents.
Kicking Stats: Field Goal Battle Decides Game
| Kicker | Team | FG Made | FG Attempts | Longest | Key Kicks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | Raiders | 4 | 4 | 60 yards | 32, 55, 60 (game-winner) |
| Harrison Butker | Chiefs | 4 | 4 | 47 yards | 36, 40, 47, 41 (go-ahead) |
Carlson’s 60-yarder eclipsed his previous career best of 57 yards and came after the Chiefs had taken a 12-11 lead on Butker’s 41-yard kick with just 1:01 remaining. The pending free agent might have just secured himself a new contract with that clutch performance.
“For all the guys in the locker room, it’s been a tough season,” Carlson said after the game. “There’s no way around that, but to end it like this, I think it was really cool to send everyone to the offseason on a good note.”
Rushing Stats: Jeanty’s Rookie Record Performance
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Average | Long | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Jeanty | Raiders | 26 | 87 | 3.3 | 24 | 0 |
| Brashard Smith | Chiefs | 12 | 56 | 4.7 | – | 0 |
Jeanty’s 87 yards gave him 975 for the season, second among Raiders rookies only to Josh Jacobs’s 1,150 in 2019. More impressively, his 1,321 total yards from scrimmage shattered Jacobs’s club rookie record of 1,316. The former Boise State star became just the second rookie this decade to surpass 300 scrimmage touches in a season, joining Najee Harris (2021).
“I thought he had a great year,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. “I think he maximized the opportunities that he had. He came through in so many ways. It just shows you, not just the toughness, but the endurance, too. He played all year long.”
Passing Stats: Quarterback Carousel on Both Sides
Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Oladokun | 11/17 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Shane Buechele | 7/14 | 88 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 18/31 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Las Vegas Raiders
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Pickett | 1/4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Aidan O’Connell | 10/22 | 102 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Total | 11/26 | 105 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Neither team found the end zone through the air. The Chiefs played without Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew, both sidelined with knee injuries. O’Connell made his first appearance of the season after spending most of the year on injured reserve with a broken wrist, delivering the game’s key offensive play with a 21-yard completion to tight end Michael Mayer that set up Carlson’s game-winner.
Receiving Stats: Limited Production in Defensive Struggle
Top Receivers
| Player | Team | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Mayer | Raiders | – | – | 21+ | 21 |
| Marquise Brown | Chiefs | – | – | 51 | 51 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Raiders | 3 | 5 | 7 | – |
Brown’s 51-yard reception in the fourth quarter set up Butker’s go-ahead field goal, representing the longest play of the game. Jeanty added three catches to his rushing workload, contributing to his historic rookie season total.
Defensive Stats: Raiders Dominate Up Front
Team Defensive Totals
| Category | Raiders | Chiefs |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards Allowed | 168 | 204 |
| Passing Yards Allowed | 84 | 102 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed | 84 | 102 |
| Sacks | 8 | 1 |
| Turnovers Forced | 2 | 2 |
| Third Down Conversions | 3/17 | 4/16 |
The Raiders recorded eight sacks, their most in a single game since Week 9 of the 2023 season. The 168 total yards allowed marked a season low for any Raiders opponent and the fewest since Week 16 of 2021.
Individual Defensive Standouts
| Player | Team | Position | Tackles | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Special Plays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyree Wilson | Raiders | DE | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 safety |
| Devin White | Raiders | LB | 6 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Chris Jones | Chiefs | DT | – | 2 | 0 | – |
Wilson turned in a career performance with his first multi-sack game in the NFL. His safety in the fourth quarter, when he crushed Shane Buechele in the end zone, extended the Raiders’ lead to 11-6 and proved crucial in the final outcome.
White’s six tackles brought his season total to 174, setting a new Raiders franchise record. He finished second in the NFL behind only Seattle’s Jordyn Brooks (183 tackles).
Jones recorded his 86.5th and 87th career sacks, moving him into third place on the Chiefs’ all-time sacks list.
Team Statistical Comparison
| Category | Raiders | Chiefs |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 12 | 10 |
| Total Yards | 204 | 168 |
| Passing Yards | 102 | 88 |
| Rushing Yards | 102 | 80 |
| Time of Possession | 30:44 | 29:16 |
| Penalties | – | – |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
Season Context and Implications
This victory, though largely meaningless in the standings, provided the Raiders with their first home win against the Chiefs since relocating to Las Vegas. The Chiefs had won all five previous meetings at Allegiant Stadium.
Before kickoff, the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-17, guaranteeing the Raiders the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft despite Sunday’s victory. The team finished at 3-14, the worst record in franchise history.
For Kansas City, the loss capped a disappointing 6-11 campaign, their sixth consecutive defeat and eighth loss in 10 games. The season unraveled after Mahomes suffered season-ending knee injuries in Week 15.
Injury Report
Chiefs Inactives:
- QB Patrick Mahomes (knee, season-ending)
- QB Gardner Minshew (knee, season-ending)
- RG Trey Smith (ankle)
- WR Xavier Worthy (illness)
- RB Isiah Pacheco (rest)
- DE George Karlaftis (rest)
- DE Tyreke Smith (rest)
Raiders Inactives:
- QB Geno Smith (ankle)
- DT Adam Butler (bicep)
- LT Kolton Miller (ankle)
- RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee)
- G Dylan Parham (illness)
- S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder, exited game)
Both teams essentially treated the finale like a preseason game, resting starters and evaluating depth players for future roster decisions.
Historical Significance
Travis Kelce reached 13,000 career receiving yards during the game, becoming the third tight end in NFL history to hit that milestone. The 36-year-old reached the mark in 192 games, making him the fastest tight end ever. Tony Gonzalez needed 232 games, while Jason Witten required 259.
Coaching Futures
The game marked Pete Carroll’s final contest as Raiders head coach. Despite being hired approximately one year earlier with a championship pedigree from Seattle and USC, Carroll was fired the following day. The 3-14 record sealed his fate after just one season in Las Vegas.
Andy Reid acknowledged the difficult season for Kansas City but remained focused on lessons learned.
“Nobody wants a season like this,” Reid said. “But they’re obstacles. They come into play, and you’ve got to work through those. There’s a learning curve here that you can set with some of the experiences we had for all of us and then never do it again, right?”
Key Takeaways from Player Stats
The las vegas raiders vs kansas city chiefs match player stats reveal several important storylines:
Special Teams Dominated: With no touchdowns scored, field goal kicking decided everything. Carlson’s four-for-four performance, capped by the 60-yarder, exemplified clutch execution under pressure.
Defensive Intensity: Eight sacks, season-low yardage totals, and consistent pressure made this a defense-first affair. Wilson’s breakout game and White’s record-setting tackle total highlighted the Raiders’ defensive effort.
Rookie Resilience: Jeanty’s 87 yards pushed him past significant franchise milestones despite playing behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. His 300-plus touches demonstrated remarkable durability.
Quarterback Struggles: Combined, both teams completed just 29 of 57 passes for 251 yards with one interception. Neither backup could generate rhythm or explosive plays consistently.
For comprehensive player statistics across all NFL matchups, visit Match vs Player Stats.
Bottom Line
This defensive battle showcased resilience from a Raiders team that had lost 10 straight games and determination from a Chiefs squad missing its superstar quarterback. Carlson’s heroics and Jeanty’s record-breaking performance provided bright spots for Las Vegas, while Kansas City’s struggles without Mahomes underscored his importance to their success.
The final las vegas raiders vs kansas city chiefs match player stats from January 4, 2026 tell the story of two teams in vastly different situations, yet both searching for positives heading into the offseason. For the Raiders, that meant the top draft pick and flashes from young talent. For the Chiefs, it meant getting Mahomes healthy and returning to championship contention in 2026.
