Oakland

Raiders Lose a Wild One to Chiefs

Published

12 years ago

December 16, 2013

Oakland, CA – It was the most points an opponent has scored against the Raiders in franchise history. Alex Smith returned to the Bay Area for the first time since being traded from the San Francisco 49ers. He threw four of his five touchdowns making the Kansas City Chiefs the highest scoring team in the NFL this season.

Oakland was once again eliminated from the playoff race for the 11th straight season. And the Chiefs showed no mercy after defeating them 56-31. Running Back Jamaal Charles tied his seasons best of five touchdowns and helped Kansas City clinch a wild card spot for now.

The Chiefs controlled the tempo of the game from the start.

Quintin Demps returned the opening kick off for 50 yards to set up Charles’ first touchdown, a short screen pass from Smith. The Chiefs ran the same play on their next possession and Charles scored again on a 39-yard touchdown pass. He joins an elite group of players (Jerry Rice, Shaun Alexander and Clinton Portis) that have scored five touchdowns and gained at least 200 yards in a single game.

“Yes, I was surprised I was open so much, especially on that third and long play,” said Charles. “I knew someone was going to hug me on that play but, then I was like, no one is close, I better go! This was probably my best game ever.”

The first half of the game looked like a cake walk for Kansas City. The Raiders defense did absolutely nothing to slow down the Chiefs offense or Charles. Matt McGloin threw an interception to Eric Berry intended for Marcel Reece. Berry returned the pick 47 yards for the touchdown, giving Kansas City a 21-3 lead in the first quarter. McGloin recovered and found Rod Streater for a 23-yard pass and got the first down.

As the period ended Terrelle Pryor saw some action on his first series in the red zone. A costly penalty by the Chiefs moved the ball closer to the goal line to set up a leaping 1-yard touchdown by Rashad Jennings. But Oakland’s seven turnovers gave Kansas City three more opportunities to score. Charles scored two more touchdowns after McGloin fumbled a snap and threw another interception to Berry that set up Charles’ fourth touchdown.

“I’m at a loss for words on the seven turnovers,” McGloin said. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time we got back into the game. It was 35-31 at one point still even with the turnovers we had. But we were hurting ourselves.”

The Chiefs finished the half leading the Raiders 32-17. But the third quarter belonged to Oakland. The quarterback duo moved the ball effectively and set up Andre Holmes 6-yard touchdown. McGloin’s 52-yard pass to Taiwan Jones moved the chains and gave the Raiders a much needed first down. McGloin then found Mychal Rivera in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown that put Oakland back into the game 35-31.

But the unstoppable Charles scored on a 71-yard touchdown. Jones then fumbled the ball on the Raiders drive that set up Smith’s 6-yard pass to Sean McGrath for the touchdown. Smith, who finds himself back in the playoffs, went 17 for 20 for 287 yards.

Kansas City is now tied for first place in the AFC West with Denver. The Raiders final two games of the season are division games against the Chargers and the Broncos.

“We made it difficult for ourselves,” said Charles Woodson. “This is a game about fundamentals, and when you don’t carry out the fundamentals, things like this happen. I really wish I knew why we could not stop Jamaal Charles.”

“Honestly, if I had the answers, I would change it myself and we’d be sitting at 10-4 now instead of 4-10,” Raiders Cornerback Tracey Porter said.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

100 Black Men hosts 25th Annual Scholarship Benefit & Gala

Don't Miss

Local Arts School Performs at Raiders Game

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC