OAKLAND – The Raiders’ opening drive couldn’t have gone much better. They went 80 yards on nine plays of a series that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Latavius Murray.
That was an appropriate end, considering he accounted for most of that drive. He had 50 yards on five carries, including a 35-yard scamper down the right sideline that punished an overanxious Kansas City Chiefs defense.
It was a positive start for a running game that largely went dormant after that.
“It’s more about us than anything else,” Murray said. “I’m sure I could’ve run better, especially in the second half. The yards got tough, and we have to be better next week.”
More sacks for Mack: The Raiders pass rush was active for a third straight week. This time the defensive front tallied four sacks and five tackles for losses against the Chiefs.
Edge rusher Khalil Mack played a part in three sacks. He was given credit for one full sack and a pair of half sacks. A pair of his efforts came on third down, stalling Kansas City drives. He now has nine sacks on the season, the highest Raiders total since Kamerion Whimbley had nine in 2010.
“We do well when the whole front gets involved,” said Mack, who finished with a team-high eight tackles. “It wasn’t just me out there. It was everybody working together to get guys free and put some heat on the quarterback.”
Cooper inching closer to 1,000 yards: The Raiders haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Randy Moss broke the plateau in the 2005 season. Barring injury, Cooper’s going to get there. He is just 80 yards from pay dirt.
He had four catches for 69 yards against Kansas City and brought his season total to 920 yards on 62 receptions through 12 games.
Peters’ homecoming goes well: Kansas City rookie first-round cornerback Marcus Peters is a proud Oakland native, and was excited about playing his first game at O.co Coliseum since high school. He played well in his return, recording six tackles, an interception and two passes defensed.
He said he brought “the whole town to the game,” which was an emotion experience for him.
“It was a whole lot more than I expected,” Peters said. “It was hard. I can’t lie. It was really hard. It was hard to stay focused. My nerves were jumping early in the game. My emotions were just everywhere. Coach and the other leaders on the team brought me back. I made some silly mistakes, but they reeled me in.”
Branch gets a big pick: Veteran safety Tyvon Branch spent most of his career in Oakland, though the Raiders released him this offseason after a pair of injury-riddled seasons. He had four tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown Sunday.
“Raider Nation showed me a lot of love when I was out here,” Branch said. “To come out here and make a play like that, it was good.”
This and that: Marquette King had three punts pin the Chiefs inside its 10-yard line. He also had a 52-yard punt. …Raiders rookie tight end had a career-high 53 receiving yards on five catches. …Left tackle Donald Penn got hurt late in the game, but just got the wind knocked out of him. Head coach Jack Del Rio said safety Nate Allen has a knee injury, and that he would be evaluated further on Monday.
