Sports

Raiders, Broncos tied atop AFC West

Carson Palmer knew that Darrius Heyward-Bey, perhaps the Raiders’ fastest wide receiver, could beat the Chiefs defense if he went deep down the field.

The Raiders just had to wait for the right moment.

It came on the first play of overtime.

Heyward-Bey beat safety Kendrick Lewis down the left side and Palmer hit him for a 53-yard gain, setting up Sebastian Janikowski’s 36-yard field goal 2:13 into overtime yesterday for a 16-13 win in Kansas City that kept the Raiders’ playoff hopes alive and eliminated the Chiefs from contention.

“It was the right time to call it,” Palmer said. “I wanted it earlier, but we saved it for the right time. The protection was flawless and the route was great.”

It was just about the only thing that was flawless.

The Raiders committed 15 penalties for 92 yards, one of them — a delay of game — wiping out an audacious fake field goal that would have gone for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Palmer also threw a pair of interceptions and the Raiders converted only 3 of 11 third-down opportunities.

“An ugly win is better than a pretty loss,” Palmer said.

Especially given the stakes.

Oakland (8-7) can win the AFC West by beating San Diego next week and getting some help from — of all teams — the Chiefs, who travel to Denver for a game that’s become meaningless to them.

Bills 40, Broncos 14

In Orchard Park, N.Y., Tim Tebow picked a terrible time to run out of fourth-quarter comebacks.

Rather than inspiring the Broncos to another dramatic rally, the quarterback sealed the most dreadful performance of his two-year career by throwing four interceptions — all in the second half and two returned for touchdowns 18 seconds apart.

It happened as the Broncos (8-7) had a chance to inch closer to clinching their first playoff berth in six years, and against a Bills team that was coming off seven straight losses and had little to play for.

“My confidence is just fine,” Tebow said. “I have to do a better job of not giving them opportunities. I tried to make something happen, and I tried to force it.”

Denver coach John Fox hasn’t lost faith in Tebow.

“I just think a couple of misreads,” Fox said.

And no, he gave no thought of pulling Tebow at any point during a second half, in which four of the Broncos’ final six possessions ended with interceptions.