Watch: Chiefs scoop Josh Jacobs fumble on first play of game for touchdown
Week 14 began with a bang between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs' defense has helped lead the Chiefs to five consecutive wins.
Against the Raiders, they made their presence felt on the very first play of the game.
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs received a carry, only to fumble the ball immediately. Defensive lineman Jarran Reed forced the fumble.
Mike Hughes was on the ball to immediately scoop it and return it for a touchdown.
Watch: Chiefs score touchdown on first play of game on Josh Jacobs fumble
The fumble by Jacobs gave the Chiefs an immediate advantage over their divisional foe. The fumble was the first lost fumble of Jacobs' season and the fourth fumble of his career.
FIRST PLAY @CHIEFS DEFENSIVE TD.
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The Raiders tried to engage in psychological warfare after pregame warmups. In a tweet released by NFL Network's James Palmer, the Raiders huddled at midfield on the Chiefs logo after their pregame warm-up.
The Chiefs' crowd erupted in a chorus of boos. The Chiefs likely didn't take kindly to being taunted by their rival.
So recovering a fumble for a touchdown on the first play made Arrowhead Stadium erupt even more.
Dig this! The #raiders met as a team after their pregame warmup at about the 25 yard line. Then proceeded to relocate their team huddle to midfield on top of the #chiefs logo. The stadium erupted in boos as the Raiders fired each other up. LFG!!! https://t.co/6MQOVtQ5G0
The Chiefs' defense began the first half of the season as one of the most troublesome units in the NFL. The pass rush had struggled to get to the quarterback, and they were amongst the bottom in the league in forced turnovers.
But over the last five weeks, the defense has been elevated to another level. They haven't allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in that span.
They've allowed an average of just 11.2 points per game.
The Raiders can't afford to make these mistakes in a critical game. The Raiders were convincingly beat by the Chiefs 41-14 in Week 10 and are three games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West.
With Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense trying to find their way, they need all the help they can get from the defense.
Mahomes broke out of his early-season slump against the Raiders in Week 10 with 400 yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers. But he's returned back to Earth in the last two weeks.
Jacobs will wish he could take that fumble back. But the Raiders will have to move on and play at their best if they want to beat the Chiefs.