The Oakland Raiders aren't going anywhere in the postseason but they were the ones looking like a playoff team Sunday against playoff-bound Kansas City.Breaking open the game with two second-half interceptions off Matt Cassel that led to touchdowns, the Raiders beat Kansas City 31-10 to hand the Chiefs their first home loss of the season while finishing the year 6-0 against their AFC West division rivals.
The Raiders were the only AFC team this season to have an undefeated division record and also became the first team since the AFL-NFL merger to have a perfect division record yet still miss the playoffs.
With the game out of reach and with Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel taking a beating from intense Raiders' pass rush, Chiefs coach Todd Haley pulled Cassel midway through the fourth quarter in favor of Tyler Palko.
The Raiders (8-8) snapped a string of seven straight losing seasons in which they had never won more than five games.
Here's some observations on the game:
• The Chiefs played their regular season finale amid reports that their offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, was planning to leave Kansas City to take a job with the University of Florida as the Gators new offensive coordinator. No official announcement has been made, either by the school or by the Chiefs, but reports say that's expected to come on Monday.
• Cassel came into the game with five interceptions, the second lowest in the league and his plus 22 touchdown to interception ratio was second only to New England's Tom Brady (plus 30). But he had two in the second half against the Raiders, both leading to touchdowns.
• Cassel locked in on receiver Dexter McCluster, and the Raiders' Stanford Routt saw that and stepped in front for the interception. Routt took it 22 yards to the house for a back-breaking pick six that put the Raiders up by 21 points with 9:11 remaining.
• On the first play after Raiders safety Michael Huff intercepted Cassel, Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford went 10 yards on a reverse for a touchdown. That put the Raiders up 24-10 with 11:07 remaining. Cassel was trying to pass from his own end zone. He came under pressure from Raiders' pass rush when he lofted a pass downfield that Huff picked off and returned to the 10.
• Michael Bush broke through for a 26-yard touchdown run with 2:26 left in the third quarter, and the Raiders have pulled in front 17-10. Bush burst through a gaping hole at the line of scrimmage and went in untouched for his eighth rushing touchdown of the season.
• Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, battling Houston's Arian Foster for the NFL's rushing title, scored on a 5-yard run midway through the third quarter, pulling the Chiefs into a 10-10 tie. Charles got the Chiefs within striking distance with a previous 47-yard run.
• The Raiders went in front 10-3 at halftime on Jason Campbell's 5-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens and a field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. Wide receiver Jacoby Ford set up the touchdown when he turned a short pass in the flat from Campbell into a 35-yard gain.
• Campbell was shaken up at the end of a first quarter scramble in Kansas City and lifted in favor of backup Kyle Boller. Campbell missed a series with what the Raiders said was a right knee injury before returning to the game. Campbell was running and neared the sideline when Chiefs defensive lineman Tamba Hali came up from behind and shoved him. Campbell tumbled to the ground, banging his knee on the ground.
• A turnover on the Raiders first play from scrimmage led to the game's first score, a 30-yard field goal by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop. Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey fumbled after a catch at the Raiders' 17-yard line and the Chiefs' Derrick Johnson recovered. The Chiefs' only managed to get the 12-yard line, and had to settle for the field goal, however.
Watch highlights from Sunday's games:




