Just (first) Win Baby !

The winless Raiders visited hostile Arrowhead Stadium and escaped with a 35-30 win over KC, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season.

Kansas City drove 60 yards on their opening drive, scoring on a 2-yard toss from Trent Green (26-47, 287 yards, TD, 2 Int) to Tony Gonzalez (6-55, TD). Oakland was quick to answer, taking just 91 seconds before Tyrone Wheatley found the end zone on a 3-yard scamper. Dante Hall needed even less time, however, as he took the ensuing kickoff 102 yards to put KC back on top 14-7. Oakland responded with another TD drive to make it 14-14 after the 1st quarter.

KC's Morten Anderson connected on a 25-yard chip shot to give the Chiefs a 17-14 lead, then after a Raiders 3-and-out, KC took over deep in their own territory. Trent Green was picked off by Rod Woodson at the 33, and Woodson ran it back to the 4; Charlie Garner punched it in on the Raiders first play to give Oakland their first lead of the day, 21-17. That didn't last long, though, as the Chiefs marched back down field for another TD, then capitalized on a Rich Gannon (23-35, 218, 2 TD, Int) interception by adding another FG to go on top 27-21. They looked to add to that lead before half, but the Raiders dodged a bullet when Johnnie Morton fumbled on the Oakland 1-yard line with just over a minute remaining in the half.

The track meet that was the first half subsided in the second, as Oakland's defense finally had an answer for KC. The Raiders re-took the lead with 4:43 remaining in the 3rd on a 7-yard toss from Gannon to Tim Brown, then added another TD early in the 4th to extend their advantage to 35-27. Morten Anderson connected on a 41-yard FG with 11:06 remaining to cut the Chiefs' deficit to 5.

The Raider offense struggled, going 3-and-out on their next two possessions, but their defense held KC at bay, stopping the Chiefs on 4th-and-2 at midfield and forcing two punts. Kansas City's last possession began on their own 5-yard line with 3:17 remaining, and Green successfully marched his team to the 38 before things stalled, and on 3rd and 9, Rod Woodson came up with his second pick of the day for Oakland. The Raiders just needed one first down and they were able to run out the clock for the 35-30 victory.

Kansas City's Dante Hall was named game MVP: he had 4 kick returns for 162 yards, including the electric 102-yard KO return, and he caught 4 passes for 49 yards. Gannon and Charlie Garner (15-85, 2 TD, 5 rec- 35) were both solid for the Raiders, but Woodson's 2 picks were the difference in this game.
--submitted by Dan Donovan--