LAS VEGAS — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice exited early with an apparent hamstring injury in the first quarter of the Chiefs' 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium. Kansas City held on to remain unbeaten despite losing its top wideout on its second drive of the afternoon.
Rice caught a short pass and cut up the right side before suddenly stumbling and veering toward the sideline. He began hopping awkwardly and reached for the back of his left leg, clearly in significant discomfort. The team initially listed him as questionable to return with a hamstring injury, then downgraded him to doubtful to start the second half. He remained on the sideline briefly before heading back to the locker room.
The catch was Rice's only of the day and was negated by an offsides penalty. He entered Sunday with 190 receiving yards and one touchdown in his fourth season with the team. Kansas City still finished the drive, with Patrick Mahomes finding Thornton for a 2-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 after Kirk Cousins had hit Ian Thomas for a 27-yard score on Las Vegas' opening drive. The Raiders carried a three-point lead into halftime after kicking a pair of field goals in the second quarter.
Kansas City sealed the victory with two touchdowns in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter. A 55-yard pass to Tyquon Thornton set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Walker, though Thornton went down with a gruesome ankle injury at the end of the long reception. After Las Vegas fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Walker scored again on a 22-yard run on the next play. The win moved the Chiefs to 4-0, while the Raiders fell to 3-1 and missed a chance at their best start since 2002.