Chiefs Stay Perfect: Late Comeback Stuns Raiders 30-27 in Las Vegas

• by Shimanta Das
• October 6, 2026

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 4-0 on the 2026 NFL season with a gritty 30-27 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Kansas City erased a fourth-quarter deficit, maintaining their perfect start and once again proving their knack for clutch performances. The Raiders led at halftime and remained in front deep into the fourth quarter, putting head coach Kliff Kubiak’s prediction of an upset within reach. But the Chiefs had other plans, producing another late comeback to steal the win.

The game remained 13-10 until the fourth quarter, when rookie sensation Thornton followed a 76-yard run from Kenneth Walker with his second touchdown of the day—an 8-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes then found Thornton for a 55-yard gain with 3:25 remaining, setting Kansas City up in the red zone and bringing the veteran receiver to 111 yards on five catches. The Chiefs took the lead for good with 3:21 remaining on a Walker touchdown run. Walker was a difference-maker all night, finishing with a career-high 177 yards rushing. Just when defenses seem to key in on the Chiefs’ ground game, Walker finds a way to provide the explosive play that earned him a lucrative three-year deal in the first place.

However, special teams remain a roller coaster for Kansas City. It’s unclear what coordinator Dave Toub must change to get his units to stop making critical—and often very silly—errors, but it needs to happen soon. The Chiefs stiffened to stop Raiders rookie Jeanty on third down, and Las Vegas opted for Matt Gay’s 48-yard field goal with 4:53 remaining to jump back in front 19-17. But Kansas City’s resilience shone through. Here are our primary takeaways from a very intense yet entertaining Week 4 contest between the Chiefs and Raiders: Mahomes and Thornton have developed a dangerous connection, Walker is finally living up to his contract, and the Chiefs’ ability to win close games remains unmatched. As for the Raiders, they showed promise but couldn’t close the deal against a championship-caliber opponent.