OAKLAND — In their quest to secure their first playoff berth in three years, the Chiefs started fast and finished with a flurry against their most heated rivals, the Oakland Raiders (4-10), on Sunday.
The end result was a 56-31 win, a season sweep of the Raiders, and a playoff berth for head coach Andy Reid in his first year to coach the team.
The Chiefs (11-3) got five touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Smith, with four of them going to running back Jamaal Charles. Charles actually scored five touchdowns on Sunday, becoming the first NFL player since 2003 to score five touchdowns in one game.
The Chiefs also got a touchdown reception from tight end Sean McGrath and an interception return for a touchdown from safety Eric Berry. Alex Smith finished the game with a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, completing 17 of 20 passes for 287 yards and the five touchdown passes.
Charles had only 20 yards rushing, but he also had eight receptions for 195 yards receiving. After finishing 2-14 last season, the Chiefs are now 11-3. That winning percentage represents the largest turnaround in NFL history.
The Chiefs return home next weekend to host the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium in their regular season home finale.
