LAS VEGAS — The Raiders might be closer than they have been in years.

Close enough to make the Chiefs uncomfortable. Close enough to imagine the AFC West looking different. Close enough that their coach went into halftime convinced they were about to prove it.

But for now, it’s still Kansas City.

The Chiefs reminded the Raiders of that Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, handing them their first loss of the season in a 30-27 victory and putting a temporary hold on the changing-of-the-guard conversation.

A competive game turned with lightening-like quickness.

Patrick Mahomes threw 55 yards to Tyquan Thornton to set up Kenneth Walker’s 2-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs up 23-19 with 3:25 left. And on the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders Dareke Young coughed up the ball to the Chiefs, setting up Walker’s 22-yard touchdown run.

Just like that, a Raiders 19-17 lead was an 11-point deficit.

The Raiders ended up cutting the advantage to five on Kirk Cousins’ 20-yard touchdown throw to Brock Bowers, followed by Cousins’ 2-point conversion throw to Cody White.

They also forced a three-and-out on the Chiefs next possession, giving themselves one last chance to mount a game-tying or winning drive. But they stalled when Cousins’ second-down heave was intercepted by Xavier Nwankpa to end the game.

Point made by the Chiefs.

Lesson learned by the Raiders, who squandered all sorts of chances to put the Chiefs in a bigger hole.

The Raiders are 3-1. Their promising start still means something. So does the fact that they put themselves in position to beat the opponent against whom their progress will inevitably be measured.

But an opportunity to take control of the division became a reminder of how difficult that final step can be.

Klint Kubiak certainly believed his team was ready to take it.

“Gotta be better, but you know what? We’re winning. We’re gonna win the game,” the Raiders coach told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at halftime.

It was a bold declaration, delivered with the Raiders holding a lead and having given their coach reason to believe.

Kansas City had other ideas.

And that is the part the Raiders still have to solve.

Building a team capable of challenging the Chiefs is one assignment. Finishing the job when the opportunity presents itself is another.

Sunday offered encouragement about the first and frustration about the second.

That will sting. It should.

The Raiders had a chance to turn a 3-0 start into something that would demand an entirely different level of attention. At home, against Kansas City, they could have made the strongest argument yet that something substantial is taking shape under Kubiak.

Instead, they left with a loss and the knowledge that this was within reach.

There is value in being competitive. There is considerably more value in winning a game like this.

The Raiders appear to be narrowing that distance.

Now comes the work of finding the plays, the execution and the answers that carry them the rest of the way.

The neighborhood might be changing.

The sheriff, for now, remains.

Run game still needs help

The Raiders have given themselves plenty of reasons to believe something is changing.

Their running game keeps giving them a reason to worry.

The Raiders had managed just 72 yards on 26 carries. That is barely more than 2 yards per attempt, a troubling continuation of an issue that their winning start helped soften but never solved.

For an offense coached by Kubiak and featuring Ashton Jeanty, that is nowhere near good enough.

And against Kansas City, the consequences become harder to ignore.

Against good teams, the ability to create manageable situations, sustain possessions and make a defense respect more than the quarterback’s arm is a must. When the running game produces so little, every stalled attempt puts additional pressure on the next play.

Cousins and the passing game cannot be expected to supply every answer.

Nor can the Raiders count on their defense to keep creating opportunities that compensate for an offense struggling to establish itself on the ground.

The concern extends beyond one afternoon.

The Raiders entered Sunday still searching for consistency in their rushing attack. Their victory in New Orleans included a 36-yard touchdown run, but the larger performance offered little evidence that they had found a dependable formula.

Against the Chiefs, that search continued.

This is about more than Jeanty’s individual production. The Raiders need their blocking, timing and execution to come together often enough to make running the ball a reliable option.

The Raiders do not need every rushing attempt to become a highlight. They need enough productive ones to keep their offense operating on favorable terms.

Until that happens, the running game will remain an obstacle to becoming the team they believe they can be.

And an increasingly difficult one to explain away.