5 things we learned in the Chiefs’ latest rumble with the Raiders

On Monday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs squared off against the Las Vegas Raiders in a fight that lasted all four quarters. The Chiefs emerged victorious 30-29. Here are five things we learned from the game:

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1. The NFL has no idea how to officiate complex situations

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It was third-and-8 with 1:13 left in the second quarter. The Chiefs were trailing the Las Vegas Raiders 17-7 when Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo decided to shift Chris Jones outside along the edge, away from his usual position inside.

Jones beat the offensive tackle and was on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in an instant— stripping the ball from Carr's grasp, gaining full possession while still having the wherewithal to put down his arm to cushion the fall so that the full force of his weight does not land on the fragile quarterback. Of course, the officials naturally flagged him for roughing the passer. They made the call even though Jones was the ball carrier by the time he landed on the ground.

The NFL had a similar situation on Sunday, as Atlanta Falcons defender Grady Jarrett was flagged for roughing Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. It's yet another instance of the NFL mishandling a situation and overcorrecting with its directives to its officials.

A few years ago, the league had a similar situation when it emphasized pass interference. At some point, the NFL must learn how to implement policies and rules that protect players and do not interfere with the concept of fair play.

As Jones mentions in the video, the roughing of the passer call should have been reviewable. The NFL must respond to this situation with a solution as soon as possible for the dignity of the league,

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2. The Chiefs have the most passionate fans in the NFL

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Speaking of that roughing the passer call, the bright side of such a terrible call is that it awoke the beast within GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. From the moment the flag was thrown, the fans were electric.

The boos from the crowd reverberated through the television screen on ESPN's broadcast.

Chiefs fans carried this energy through until the end of the game. When fans often boast about how their respective crowd is the 12th man, it's nothing more than meaningless conjecture. On Monday night, the "Chiefs Kingdom" was a physical presence in the game.

It was one of the most impressive performances by a crowd in recent memory.

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3. Kelce is the greatest tight end in history

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Travis Kelce turned 33 this past week. He is currently in fifth place in all-time receiving yards by a tight end. He is still 5,700 receiving yards behind Tony Gonzalez for the No. 1 spot. The likelihood that Kelce will catch Gonzalez is not very high. Kelce may have to play until he's at least 39 while maintaining his current production to catch Gonzalez.

Considering that fact, I'm here to say it doesn't matter.

Kelce is the greatest tight end ever to play football. Stats aside, all you have to do is watch how he runs a route and the angles he takes after the catch. There is not another tight end who understands the game and sees the field as he does.

He is getting up there in years; enjoy him in his prime while it lasts.

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4. The Chiefs need to continue to invest in offensive tackle

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The Raiders had three quarterback sacks in this game and six quarterback hits. Patrick Mahomes spent much of the first half running for his life. Tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie were manhandled by the Raiders' front four.

Edge rusher Maxx Crosby had his way with Andrew Wylie, forcing head coach Andy Reid to shift help to his side on multiple occasions. In Wylie's defense, guard Trey Smith missed this game due to injury, which left the inside pass rush lanes wide open, where Smith usually shifts over to help.

On more than one occasion, Brown looked overmatched by pass-rusher Chandler Jones. Brown managed to protect much better in the running game than he did on passing downs.

Regardless of that last fact, the Chiefs can expect more out of someone they are paying that much.

The Chiefs should get Lucas Niang back in the lineup at some point this season, and whether the team gives him a shot will be something to watch.

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5. Mahomes passes Troy Aikman

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Mahomes didn't play a perfect game. He missed some throws and struggled to move the ball in the first half. Under pressure from the Raiders' pass rush, he looked out of sorts early on, as the Chiefs slipped to a 17-point deficit.

And then Maxx Crosby and company thought it might be fun to poke the bear and make Patrick Mahomes angry.

Mahomes would go on to throw for 292 yards and four touchdowns, extending his domination over the Raiders by another game, bringing his career record against Las Vegas to 8-1 all-time. With his fourth touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, Mahomes passed Troy Aikman for number 76 on the all-time passing touchdowns leaderboard.

The Chiefs fought through an ugly game against a hated rival and came out on top. It wasn't perfect, but the Chiefs will take it any day of the week.