POLITICS
Why Election Night Is Not the Super Bowl
Even though TV wants it to be
Last weekend, the Chiefs edged the Raiders in a seesaw game. The game wasn’t supposed to be all that close — the Chiefs were the undefeated Super Bowl champions, while the lowly Raiders were 2–5. But the contest was closer than expected, with the Chiefs winning 27–20.
Here’s what happened: the Chiefs took the lead as expected, but the Raiders quickly countered, going up 10–7 by the middle of the second quarter. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce combined for their gazillionth career touchdown to take the lead back, 14–10, and then the Chiefs tacked on a field goal before halftime. It looked like the Chiefs might cruise from this point on, up by a touchdown, but Daniel Carlson kicked a field goal to cut the Chiefs’ lead to four.
Then, in the crucial sequence of the game, the Raiders intercepted one of Mahomes’ passes and inherited a golden chance to take the lead: first-and-goal at the Chiefs’ 3-yard line. It was here that, depending on your perspective, the Chiefs held firm or the Raiders blew it: the Chiefs defense stuffed three straight runs and then sacked the Raiders quarterback to get the ball back. From that point forward, it seemed like the Chiefs were in control; they padded their lead with another ten points before allowing a…
