Balanced effort revs up Chiefs

Defense, special teams contribute heavily in win over division rival.

The Kansas City Chiefs have spent seven weeks insisting that everybody in their beleaguered locker room was hanging together, even as their season was threatening to fall apart.

They showed Sunday what they were talking about.

Their offense produced big plays for the second straight week. Kareem Hunt finally got going on the ground again. Their defense, which hardly sniffed the quarterback while the Chiefs lost six out of seven to fall into a tie atop the AFC West, dropped the Raiders’ Derek Carr three times. And special teams was nearly flawless, with Harrison Butker knocking through four field goals.

Three phases, all working together, to produce a crucial 26-15 victory over Oakland. “One thing I thought, everybody rallied together and supported each other,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Not that they haven’t before, but if something didn’t go quite right they were all in there.”

There were plenty of things that hadn’t been going right lately.

But on a sun-splashed December afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium, and against most odds, the Chiefs managed to turn them back around. They did it without suspended star cornerback Marcus Peters, injured center Mitch Morse and one of the hottest teams in the division on the opposite sideline. Oakland had won two straight

and three of four to forge a tie in the AFC West race.

“I mean, it was good to see everybody hitting on all cylinders. Everybody’s got their mojo back,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “I feel like we’re rolling out there. I feel like we’re very confident. We just have to keep tuning it up and get it going for next week.”

The Chiefs (7-6) viewed their game against Oakland (6-7) as crucial to their playoff hopes. Their game Saturday night against the Chargers is even more

important now.

Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for 211 yards with a late touchdown

and two picks. Marshawn Lynch was held to 60 yards rushing — 49 of which came on two carries.

ED ZURGA / ASSOCIATED PRESS Running back Kareem Hunt (right) ran for 116 yards and scored his first touchdown in nine games as the Chiefs downed the Raiders 26-15 Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.