Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked five times against the Las Vegas Raiders, causing head coach Andy Reid to pull Wanya Morris from the offensive line.

Mahomes was heavily pressured for the second week running after taking five sacks in a 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 12. The Chiefs also won 19-17 in the Black Friday Game against the Raiders after a dramatic ending, as Las Vegas fumbled the ball with 15 seconds remaining while in position for a potential walk-off field goal.

The Raiders were leading in the fourth quarter, and Reid made the decision to bench Morris after admitting that his left tackle was “struggling” to stop Mahomes from taking hits. “Yeah, Wanya was struggling a little bit, so I moved Joe (Thuney) over there, (Mike) Caliendo in at guard, I thought it was the right thing to do at that time,” Reid told reporters after the game.

“Talked to Andy (Heck) about it, and he agreed with it. So we made that move just to solidify things. Pat (Mahomes) took a few hits there, and so we were struggling at times.”

Reid was then asked if it was disruptive not having that position locked down, and the Chiefs head coach replied: “It’s disruptive in any offense if the quarterback is getting hit and not able to get the ball off. That can be a problem.

“Listen, we’re playing against a couple of good players, but you’ve got to do better than we did then. Penalties are killers, and the sacks were killers.”

It was the first time in Mahomes’ career that he’d taken 10 sacks in a two-game span, but the Chiefs extended their one-possession winning streak to 14. In beating the Raiders, the Chiefs also became the first team this season to secure a playoff berth, making them the earliest team to do so since 1970.

Wanya Morris was a third round (92nd overall) pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Wanya Morris was a third round (92nd overall) pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. ( 

Image:

Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Mahomes appeared visibly upset about his lack of protection, but the two-time defending Super Bowl champions still managed to get the job done and improved to 11-1 on the season. The only time the Chiefs have lost this season was on the road against the Buffalo Bills, who are looking to beat Kansas City to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The Bills are 9-2 this season but face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as they return from their bye week. The Niners are still waiting to see whether quarterback Brock Purdy will be in a position to return for Sunday’s game while also closely watching the weather forecast.

Buffalo is expecting to receive more than two feet of snow over the weekend, which could be a major factor as the Bills are more experienced when it comes to playing in harsh conditions. It’s a must-win for both teams, as the Bills cannot afford to fall two wins behind the Chiefs, but the Niners are 5-6 and at risk of missing out on the playoffs despite reaching Super Bowl LVIII last season.