BALTIMORE (AP) — During their eight-game winning streak, the Kansas City Chiefs have made this abundantly clear: The opposition will pay for its mistakes.

That is precisely what happened Sunday, when the Chiefs capitalized on an abundance of miscues by the Baltimore Ravens in a 34-14 victory that earned Kansas City a place in the NFL record book.

Tyvon Branch returned a fumble 73 yards for a touchdown and Marcus Peters scored on a 90-yard interception return for the Chiefs, who also scored touchdowns following a drive-extending penalty by Baltimore and a failed fake punt.

With the victory, the Chiefs (9-5) became the first team in NFL history to follow a five-game skid with eight successive wins in the same season. Kansas City also kept itself in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.

The Chiefs picked off two passes and recovered a fumble, didn’t give the ball away and now own a plus-15 turnover differential. Kansas City believes that if it wins the turnover battle, it will win the game.

“I certainly do feel like that’s the mindset, yeah,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “To have the three turnovers — and technically, almost a fourth with when they went for the fake — to be able to capitalize on those, it changed that game.”

Smith went 21-for-25 for 171 yards and a touchdown. Charcandrick West ran for 76 yards and a score.

Although the Chiefs let a 24-7 lead dwindle to 10 points by allowing a successful Hail Mary throw at the end of the first half, the outcome was never in doubt.

Credit the opportunistic defense for that.

“They’ve kind of got that mojo,” Smith said. “The defense, you see them kind of salivate, so to speak.”

Baltimore (4-10) lost its third straight and fell to 2-5 at home. It’s the first time in their 20-year history that the Ravens have lost five home games.

“For us, the story of the game, basically, is turnovers,” coach John Harbaugh said.

Starting his second straight game for Baltimore, Jimmy Clausen completed 26 of 45 passes for a career-high 281 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. His favorite target was Kamar Aiken, who caught eight passes for 128 yards — including a desperation 48-yarder at the end of the first half.

But Clausen’s first interception was the final blow to the Ravens’ upset bid. With Baltimore at the KC 16, Peters stepped in front of Daniel Brown, picked off the pass and took it down the left sideline for a 34-14 lead with 4:36 left.

“The biggest thing is taking care of the ball,” Clausen said. “Whether it’s the fumble, or the two interceptions that I had, you’re not going to win games turning the ball over.”

The three giveaways left Baltimore with a minus-15 differential for the season.

The Ravens wore pants that were described by the team as gold but appeared to be the color of spicy mustard. Either way, the change did little to alter the course of this lost season for a Baltimore team that appeared in the playoffs in six of the past seven years.

Coming into the game, the Chiefs were averaging 29.1 points and yielding only 12. Those numbers won’t change much after this blowout.

On Kansas City’s opening series, Smith came up short on a third-down run but was hit by Timmy Jernigan while out of bounds. That extended a drive that ended with a season-best, 38-yard touchdown run by West.

Baltimore pulled even with a 1-yard TD pass from Clausen to Kyle Juszczyk. On their next possession, the Ravens got to the KC 30 before Javorius Allen fumbled when hit by Derrick Johnson, and Branch went the distance for the go-ahead score.

“My hat’s off to our guys. They take advantage of opportunities,” coach Andy Reid said. “They’ve done that really all year.”

Late in the first quarter, Baltimore’s Sam Koch ran up the middle on a fake punt. He gained 7 yards but needed 9, which provided KC with the ball at the Baltimore 24. Three plays later, Jeremy Maclin caught a 13-yard touchdown pass.

“Anybody wants to criticize for going for it and being aggressive, have at it,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not apologizing.”

Cairo Santos kicked a 53-yard field goal to boost the margin to 17 points with 50 seconds left in the half.

That gave Baltimore enough time to pull off its biggest play of the day. On the final play of the quarter, Clausen launched an up-for-grabs spiral that Aiken plucked out of the air and took into the end zone.

Game notes
The Ravens lost CB Jimmy Smith to a thigh injury in the first quarter. … The Chiefs had no significant injuries to report.

— Associated Press —

By Marc Sessler, NFL.com

The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping Jah Reid around for the long haul.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the team has given the offensive lineman a three-year contract extension that will keep Reid around through the 2018 season, according to a source informed of the deal. Rapoport adds the contract is worth $10.2 million overall and can possibly reach $12 million.

Reid has made eight starts at right tackle this season and currently ranks as the 59th best player at his position, per Pro Football Focus. It’s hardly been a campaign of brilliance by the former Ravens blocker, but he gives Kansas City a depth injection and someone they can trust to fill in as needed.

Playing his best game of the year in a Week 12 win over the Bills, Reid has graded out negatively by Pro Football Focus’ metrics in all of his seven other starts.

Still, the Chiefs see something to like in the fifth-year blocker and made that clear with their wallet Thursday. It will be a merry Christmas in the Reid household.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had relied heavily on their stingy, opportunistic defense during a six-game winning streak that vaulted them right back into playoff contention.

Their defense delivered again Sunday.

After shutting down San Diego most of the game, the Chiefs forced Philip Rivers into a pair of incomplete passes near the goal line in the final seconds to preserve a 10-3 victory over the Chargers at soggy Arrowhead Stadium that could prove to be critical in the race for an AFC wild card.

“If you’re going to be a good football team, you have to win games like this,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We found ways to lose games just like this,” referring to last-minute losses to Chicago and Denver during a 1-5 start.

Ever since then, the Chiefs (8-5) have made it nearly impossible to get into the end zone. They held the Chargers without a touchdown when they played three weeks ago in San Diego, then did it again in the most dramatic of fashion on Sunday, with the game on the line as time wound down.

San Diego (3-10) got the ball at its own 11 with 5 minutes left and quickly moved into Kansas City territory, converting fourth down three times. But after Rivers was called for delay of game at the Chiefs 1 with 5 seconds left, he threw high and out of the end zone.

There was still 2 seconds left, and another incomplete pass that would have ended the game was blown dead for a false start. So with the ball pushed back to the 11-yard line, Rivers scrambled to his right and again threw to the end zone, where his pass to Danny Woodhead skipped incomplete.

“The defense hung tough,” said Alex Smith, who threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Albert Wilson and finished with 191 yards passing. He also threw his first interception after a franchise-record 312 pass attempts, though that was quickly forgotten in the jubilation of the final seconds.

Playing through the flu, Rivers finished with 263 yards passing and an interception. Melvin Gordon was held to 35 yards rushing in another dismal performance.

“My wife just texted me and said my son said that was the greatest game ever if we’d have won,” Rivers said. “This is the story of our season, losing close games.”

It was evident from the first series that little had changed in the three weeks since the Chiefs shut down Rivers and Co. in a 33-3 win: The Chargers went three-and-out.

The teams started trading punts throughout the first quarter as rain and wind lashed half-empty Arrowhead Stadium. When the Chiefs got something going, they watched as Frankie Hammond fumbled a punt return. And when the Chargers began to move the ball, penalties shut down their drive.

Kansas City finally took the lead in the second quarter when it began a drive at its own 4-yard line. Eight consecutive running plays netted three first downs, and sucked the entire San Diego defense up to the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs took advantage when Smith hit Albert Wilson on a quick slant route, and he out-ran Steve Williams for a 44-yard touchdown reception.

Rivers was intercepted by Derrick Johnson on the Chargers’ ensuing possession, and Kansas City had just enough time to get within range of a 40-yard field goal for a 10-0 halftime lead.

The Chargers’ Josh Lambo atoned for an earlier miss with his own 30-yard field goal in the third quarter, but it was the Kansas City defense that starred the rest of the second half.

Dee Ford had his first three sacks of the season in place of injured All-Pro pass rusher Justin Houston, and the defensive backfield managed to blanket San Diego’s wide receivers. Gordon was bottled up all afternoon, and the Chargers were forced to abandon the run game in the final minutes.

Then, with the game on the line, the Chiefs made two of their biggest stops of the season.

“They just kept on fighting to the very last play there,” embattled Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. “This team has a lot of fight in them. I’m proud of them for that. But this is about winning.”

Game notes
Williams left with a hip injury and did not return. … Chiefs RB Spencer Ware ran for 52 yards before leaving with bruised ribs. … Ford finished with a team-high seven tackles. … The Chiefs sacked Rivers five times. … Chargers TE Antonio Gates had six catches for 76 yards.

— Associated Press —

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Peters and Tyvon Branch made the Oakland Coliseum feel just like home.

Peters, an Oakland native who grew up attending Raiders games, set up Kansas City’s go-ahead score with an interception and former Oakland safety Tyvon Branch put the game away with an interception return for a touchdown that gave the Chiefs their sixth straight win, 34-20 on Sunday.

“It was a whole lot more than I expected,” said Peters, who gave the ball from his interception to his mother. “It was hard, man, I can’t lie, to come out there and stay focused. My nerves were up and down.

“Early in the game my emotions were everywhere so it took for coach and the other leaders on the team to just bring me back. I made some silly mistakes early, but they reeled me in.”

Peters and Branch helped key a momentum-changing fourth quarter as Kansas City (7-5) turned three interceptions by Derek Carr into three touchdowns to remain in the AFC wild-card lead.

Alex Smith threw two TD passes to Jeremy Maclin after Carr’s first two interceptions to lead the opportunistic Chiefs to another win.

“We knew we dug ourselves in a hole in the beginning of the year, but we’re been battling back every week — just working hard and believing in each other and coming out with victories,” said linebacker Josh Mauga, whose interception started the fourth-quarter barrage.

Carr became the third Raiders quarterback since the team moved back to Oakland in 1995 to throw three fourth-quarter interceptions to send the Raiders to their fourth loss in five games and likely a 13th season without a playoff berth.

“I played a lot of football in my life, won a lot of games, lost a lot of games. But today was probably one of the hardest losses I’ve been a part of in my career,” safety Charles Woodson said. “That was a tough loss.”

The game turned odd late in the third quarter after the Raiders took a 20-14 lead on a 5-yard TD pass from Carr to Lee Smith. But Sebastian Janikowski hit the upright on the extra point, ending a streak of 225 straight makes.

The Raiders then forced a punt and were driving to make it a two-score game when Carr tried to make something out of nothing and it cost him. He tried to throw the ball away to avoid a sack, but was hit on the play and the ball went right to Mauga, who rumbled 65 yards to the 2 on the return.

“The only thing in my mind was try to get as close to the goal line or even score,” Mauga said. “I was hoping I could score, but I ran out of gas.”

Maclin then scored on a 1-yard pass from Smith. But the holder Dustin Colquitt couldn’t get the snap down and the Chiefs missed the extra point, keeping the game tied at 20.

Carr then threw another interception on the next possession after Michael Crabtree tripped and Peters returned it 58 yards to the 13. Maclin then took a short pass and ran 13 yards for the go-ahead score only to have kicker Cairo Santos miss the point after attempt.

The botched kicks proved contagious as Janikowski hit the upright again on Oakland’s ensuing possession on a 49-yard field goal try.

The Raiders got another chance, but Branch scooped up a pass that deflected off Cooper’s hands and ran it back 38 yards for the score.

“I’m pretty ticked off, especially on how some of them happened,” Carr said. “I get pretty upset. Those things will happen. It just (stinks) that it happened all back to back like that.”

The Raiders took a 14-7 lead going into the half after Woodson ripped the ball away from Kelce with the Chiefs in field goal range and returned it 38 yards to the Kansas City 36. It was Woodson’s second fumble recovery of the game and set up Michael Crabtree’s 25-yard TD catch.

Game notes
Former Raiders WR Tim Brown was presented with his Hall of Fame ring at halftime. … Chiefs DL Mike DeVito left the game with a concussion. … Raiders S Nate Allen left with a knee injury.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs were quickly running out of offensive linemen as one by one they went down with injuries, and for the briefest of moments, Andy Reid might have thought he’d need to suit up himself.

Hey, it’s only been 34 years since the coach played for BYU.

The Chiefs ultimately got by with Jeff Allen, hurt earlier in Sunday’s game against Buffalo, getting back on the field. But things could be dicey going forward after left tackle Eric Fisher hurt his neck and center Mitch Morse sustained a concussion in the 30-22 victory.

To say nothing of the knee injury to Justin Houston.

The All-Pro pass rusher went down when he was tripped by his own teammate while chasing a play in the first half Sunday. He lay face-down on the field while trainers tended to him, then was helped to the sideline and into the locker room. He was seen limping out of it after the game.

Reid indicated the injury is similar to one Houston sustained in a playoff loss to the Colts nearly two years ago. In that case, it was a strained knee ligament — depending on the severity of it, such an injury can sideline a player anywhere from two weeks to half a season.

In the midst of a playoff chase, the Chiefs (6-5) visit Oakland on Sunday and are hopeful Houston will be back soon.

“He’s going to get an MRI today,” Reid said Monday. “I don’t want to put anything out there. Let’s see how that is how bad it is, and go from there. I think he’s doing OK.”

The Chiefs have rebounded from a 1-5 start in part because they have been better than other teams at dealing with injuries. Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was lost for the season to his own knee injury, while offensive lineman Ben Grubbs remains sidelined by a neck injury.

Several other starters have missed time, including running back Charcandrick West, who had started since Charles went down but missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.

“That’s one thing I like about my team. We find a way to persevere,” said Spencer Ware, who ran for 114 yards and a touchdown in his first start. “With Jamal going down and then Charcandrick going down, our whole team is filled with people that prepare like they are the guy, so when the time comes they’re able to step in. And that’s what we do.”

That’s what the Chiefs did along the offensive line on Sunday.

Reid said he would have slid a tight end or defensive lineman into the game ahead of himself if the Chiefs ran out of offensive linemen. But with injuries mounting on the defense line, Reid also acknowledged that “we were a little low there, too.”

“You can’t say enough,” said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who was sacked just once but did not lose any yardage on it. “Three injuries, moving the line around, playing different positions and still being able to get it done really speaks to their depth.”

Reid has been in this position before, during his final year in Philadelphia. But he is confident that Kansas City has more depth than the Eagles did back then, when injuries conspired to send them to a 4-12 record and Reid was fired after 14 seasons.

“I’m always going to tell you, (general manager) John Dorsey and his crew do a phenomenal job of bringing these guys in,” Reid said. “You’re looking at guys with big hearts.”

Not to mention a team that, despite its ailments, is in the thick of the playoff hunt.

“It’s one of those things, next man up,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “Coach Reid holds us to a high level, everybody across the board, second and third string, offense and defense. You have to come in and respond and play well.”

— Associated Press —