Raiders Clean Up Penalties, Commit Zero Against Chiefs

The Las Vegas Raiders have suffered from untimely penalties throughout most of the season.

The Silver and Black aren't necessarily heavily penalized, however, they often commit penalties that cost more than yards in the long run.

After focusing on playing a cleaner football game, the Raiders had a successful day regarding penalties. Las Vegas wasn't penalized one time against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Interim Coach Antonio Pierce attributes that to Las Vegas' attention to detail leading up to the game.

"I think it's just attention to details," Pierce said. "You look at, I think, the first game three were three [penalties], three, then five against the [Miami] Dolphins, then zero. We're trending the right way.

"Obviously, [penalties are] a negative -- you hear most coaches say just three max, and I'm saying, 'Why three at all.' I think the guys have really done a good job and really I go to our coaches, the technique, the fundamentals that we talk about in practice."

Pierce credits the Raiders' position coaches with the team's collective effort to eliminate penalties.

"I mean, we've still got four or five individual periods each and every day that we work on those things," Pierce said. "The later in the season you get, you can't have all the reps right, so now you get more into being fundamentally sound as a team, and that's what we want to be.

"Taking care of the football is something else we did really well. We've had two games like that in the last four. So, we're just having those progressions each and every week. Last week, just to go back, three turnovers, five penalties. This week, no turnovers, no penalties, and that's what you want to see with your team growing, especially in the later part of the season."

Pierce said as well as the Chiefs played, the Raiders have issues other than penalties that they need to fix.

“You’re never going to knock another team, but it's the Raiders," Pierce said. "There are open players. We have had opportunities, I'll say that. There are opportunities there. The difference in that game, to be honest, you look at stat sheet, 58 Plays, and 58 plays, the time of possession about a minute, give or take.

"We outrushed them almost double, red zone, they are 3-for-3, and we’re 1-for-3, seven explosive plays over 15 (yards) for us and 17 for them. They just made them in the later part. We started off very hot.

"We didn't continue that. And when you play a team like that, they're going to make the most of their opportunities. And (quarterback) Patrick Mahomes and they did that, they did a good job, and that’s the difference between winning and losing, man.

"Three or four plays in the game, especially when you play a clean game like we played. There were no turnovers. There were no penalties. It was nothing of that nature. Just Jimmies and Joes, and it always goes back to that, Jimmies and Joes.”

The Raiders' season has become one of missed opportunities. After playing a penalty-free game, the Raiders will continue to find other ways to improve as a team after their bye week.

The Silver and Black will return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, December 10, at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST.

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