The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have made a habit of winning games in the most improbable of ways.

The way they beat the Raiders on Friday still had Patrick Mahomes and Co. shaking their heads in disbelief.

The two-time MVP watched from the sideline as Las Vegas drove within range of a winning field goal with 15 seconds left, only to botch the snap on its final offensive play, allowing the Chiefs to escape with a 19-17 victory that also secured their 10th consecutive playoff berth — the second-longest streak in NFL history.

“Obviously a big stop in a big moment that got us the win,” Mahomes said.

The Raiders (2-10) had taken over at their own 8-yard line with just under two minutes to go, and quarterback Aidan O’Connell quickly moved them across midfield, eventually spiking the ball at the Kansas City 32 to stop the clock.

Rather than try for the winning field goal — Daniel Carlson had missed three from 50-plus — the Raiders lined up to run a play, hoping to gain a few yards with a throw to the sideline before time expired. But amid the roar of Arrowhead Stadium, center Andre James snapped the ball when O’Connell wasn’t expecting it, and it bounced off the QB’s shoulder. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton pounced on it, and the recovery stood when a flag on the play turned out to be an illegal shift by the Raiders.

“I actually didn’t watch,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said of the fateful play. “That last play there was a lot going on, from the officiating to the flags to the ball being snapped.”

Mahomes finished with 306 yards passing and a touchdown, and fill-in kicker Matt Wright made four field goals for the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (11-1), who won their NFL record-extending 14th consecutive one-possession game.

Snow on the way

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills and the NFL are bracing for a major lake-effect snowstorm ahead of Sunday night’s game agains the San Francisco 49ers.

Forecasts call for between 20 and 30 inches of snow to fall in the Buffalo area over a 12-to-16-hour period starting Saturday afternoon. Plows and backhoes were already arriving at the stadium Friday, with a dump truck spreading salt on parking lots and roads in anticipation of the storm.

The Bills issued a call for volunteers to sign up as prospective snow shovelers. A Bills playoff game in January was postponed by a day because of a lake-effect storm.

A helping hand

DETROIT — Help is on the way at linebacker for the Detroit Lions.

They desperately need it on the defensive line, too. Detroit bolstered its short-handed linebacking corps, agreeing to sign veteran Kwon Alexander off Denver’s practice squad. The agreement was reached Friday, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The 30-year-old inside linebacker started in two games and played in another as a reserve this season for the Broncos. Malcolm Rodriguez had a knee injury that coach Dan Campbell feared was serious in Thursday’s win against Chicago and the position group has taken hits this season. Detroit hosts Green Bay on Thursday night.

Koo or no Koo

ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons placekicker Younghoe Koo’s status for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers is uncertain due to a right hip injury. The Falcons have listed Koo as questionable for the game and signed kicker Riley Patterson to the practice squad. Koo has made 19 of 26 field goals this season.

He missed three of four attempts in a 20-17 loss at New Orleans on November 10 but regrouped to make each of two tries in a 38-6 loss at Denver the following week. Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes was ruled out with a neck injury.