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Chiefs stay undefeated

Kansas City Chiefs Eddie Kennison celebrates just after he gained 43 yards on a pass play from quarterback Trent Green during the first quarter of their game against the Oakland Raiders at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California, Monday. The play ended on the Oakland one yard line and was followed by a Chiefs touchdown. PHOTO: REUTERS

Oakland's Tim Brown was tackled on the Kansas City one yard line as time expired Monday giving the unbeaten Chiefs their seventh straight win in beating rivals the Raiders 17-10.

Trent Green passed for 206 yards for Kansas City and tied a franchise record for consecutive wins. But the Chiefs had to survive a gutsy last-minute drive led by Marques Tuiasosopo, who had thrown just six passes all season.

Tuiasosopo took over for injured MVP Rich Gannon in the second half. He led two scoring drives and drove the Raiders (2-5) from their own 6 with 1:47 left to the Kansas City goal line on a drive featuring two catches by Jerry Rice and a huge 35-yard reception by Jerry Porter.

Oakland even tried a fake spike to get in the end zone, but the game ended when Jerome Woods and Greg Wesley tackled Brown on a catch at the 1 while time ran out.

Gannon bruised his right shoulder in the final minute of the second quarter, then spent the second half on the sidelines nursing the injury which came from two vicious sacks by Shawn Barber and several other hard hits.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown as Oakland Raiders Napoleon Harris make the tackle. PHOTO: REUTERS

Tuiasosopo also struggled before sparking the Raiders to an impressive fourth quarter. The third-year pro had just 69 yards passing in his entire career, but was 16-of-28 for 224 yards in the second half.

Priest Holmes rushed for 123 yards and ran for a 2-yard touchdown with 4:57 left that gave Kansas City a 17-3 lead.

The Chiefs gave Dick Vermeil a win in his first appearance on Monday night as a head coach since his Philadelphia Eagles played in Miami in 1981.

For the Chiefs, this win took some of the sting out of an embarrassing 24-0 loss in Oakland last Dec. 28, the first time in 88 meetings between the former AFL foes that the Raiders shut them out.

That game, played in a steady downpour, gave Oakland the top seed for the AFC playoffs, as well as a much-needed bye, and eliminated the Chiefs from making the postseason for the fifth straight year.

How different things are this year: Despite the stirring fourth-quarter rally, the Raiders are reeling one year after winning the AFC championship.

The Chiefs remain one of two unbeaten teams in the NFL this season along with Minnesota (6-0).

Kansas City's stingy defense held Oakland to 114 yards through the first three quarters, frustrating the offense that was the NFL's best last season.

Tuiasosopo led the Raiders to the Kansas City 8 midway through the fourth quarter, but Oakland settled for a 27-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. The kick with 8:06 left kept the Raiders from being shut out for the first time since Dec. 7, 1997, in Kansas City.

Avoidance response

The Raiders lived up to their promise to keep the ball away from dangerous kick returner Dante Hall, but that strategy hurt them midway through the first quarter.

Stranded deep in his own territory, Shane Lechler punted directly toward the Oakland sideline, giving Kansas City the ball at the Raiders 44.

Moments later, Eddie Kennison slipped underneath two defenders and hauled in Green's 43-yard pass at the 1 despite safety Derrick Gibson's interference on the play. Green sneaked around the right end two plays later.

Kansas City had a 55-yard drive late in the second quarter, leading to Morten Andersen's 37-yard field goal with 1:07 left. Otherwise, Oakland's defense had reasonable success against the Chiefs' powerful offense.

Porter, the Raiders' brash deep-threat receiver, played his first game since having multiple hernia surgery on Sept. 12. He finished with four catches for 69 yards.
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