Marcus Peters went home to play in Oakland a year ago as a rookie, and the excitement flowed through his gut so strong he threw up on the sideline during the game. This year’s trip proved much more relaxing – the second-year veteran only need a quick IV treatment to handle this year’s matchup.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters lines up against Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper during the teams’ meeting at Oakland Coliseum on Oct. 16, 2016. (Photo courtesy Chiefs PR, Chiefs.com)
“Man, that’s all emotions though,” Peters told reporters after the game. “All that extra energy and all that extra stuff, that build up – I was doing too much.”
Peters shined again in his homecoming game returning to his native Oakland and helping lead his team to a 26-10 victory. And for the second straight season, Peters celebrated with his family and friends by intercepting a Derek Carr pass.
Heavy rain both before and during the game created slippery conditions for everyone at Oakland Coliseum, and the weather played a role in Peters’ NFL-leading fifth interception of the season.
“I mean it was wet, first of all, and (wide receiver Michael) Crabtree beat me on a double move,” Peters said. “Bt I knew that (Carr) wouldn’t be able to throw the ball that far. I knew the ball was going to hang. So as soon as he got passed me, I just looked up. I trusted my instincts. And I knew that I had somebody over the top.”
Peters made the interception, which the Chiefs converted into their first score of the game to make it 7-7. Linebacker Derrick Johnson said the play turned the tide for the Chiefs.
“But when he got that pick, it kind of lifted the whole team,” Johnson said. “They scored on us first, but it’s not what you do when they score, it’s how you respond – so we responded really well.”
Safety Eric Berry agreed.
“He always tends to come up with something like that in the clutch,” Berry said. “We just feed off of that. Anytime we get big plays, we feed off of that.”
The young defensive back tried to downplay the emotions leading into the game. For a player with Peters’ unbridled enthusiasm, however, the best he might hope for is a dull roar of excitement.
“These are those games that you dream about as a kid,” Peters said. “I dreamed about playing in the mud, playing in the NFL. Just having the ball out there, it was a wonderful day.”
After leaving the game briefly for the IV treatment, Peters departed the game for good midway through the fourth quarter after making jarring tackle on Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera. Peters appeared to stagger briefly, but coach Andy Reid said he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol.
“Yeah, it was just protocol,” Peters said. “It was just a regular stinger. But you go through protocol, they have to go through and look at everything. But I’m fine.”
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com and the Topeka Capital-Journal. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
