The hatred between the Chiefs and the Raiders is as old as the AFL, and this season is no exception. The Chiefs are trying to turn their season around before it's too late; the Raiders are trying to keep pace with the Chargers for the AFC West lead. The only thing standing in each other's way, is each other.
Being a Chiefs fan, it's clear how I want this to play out. I want the Chiefs to win/blowout the Raiders in Oakland and reestablish last year's superiority over the division. But even as an advent Chiefs fan, this task seems very difficult.
The Raiders finished 8-8 last year, but they were 6-0 in the division. That record included two wins over the Chiefs, one an overtime victory in a game the Chiefs let slip away and the other a beat down in Kansas City on the final regular season game of the year. If the final game last year is any indication of how these two teams will match up, then the Chiefs are in trouble. These two teams, however, are quite different from when they last met.
We all know about the Chiefs injuries this season, but the Raiders have their share of differences this season. With Jason Campbell out for the season (and possibly out of Oakland), Carson Palmer was brought in for a king's ransom - this year's first round draft pick and their 2013 second round pick, which is a conditional first round pick based on statistics that haven't released yet. But it has yet to be determined if we will see Palmer, or original Campbell backup, Kyle Boller. If I had to guess, it will be Boller though.
But what should worry the Chiefs is not what is different this year with the Raiders (no Nnamdi, new head coach), but what is still the same. The Raiders still have one of the biggest and most physical defensive lines in the league. The same offensive line that held the Chiefs to 3.1 yards per carry and 4.0 yards per carry in their two games, never surrendering a 100 yard rushing performance, even to Jamaal Charles. This defensive line, anchored by Richard Seymour, can control the line of scrimmage, and their effectiveness will be a key factor in determining who wins this game on Sunday.
As far as Oakland's offense is concerned, whether it be Palmer or Boller behind center, they are still going to have Darren McFadden. McFadden has helped lead the Raiders to the second best running game in the NFL, and all the sparks we saw out of McFadden earlier in his career have added up to consistent greatness this season. The Raiders are also filled with a bunch of young, talented wide receivers that are very fast, just the way Al Davis liked them.
For special teams, this might be the first time in the long time the Chiefs have had the advantage. Sebastian Janikowski missed practice this week with an injured left hamstring, and the Raiders have been bringing in kickers to try out in case Janikowski misses time. If ole SeaBass is injured, then the Chiefs have to like their odds at forcing the Raiders to punt rather than taking long field goal attempts.
All-in-all, the Raiders are favored this week and the Chiefs haven't won in the last several years coming off a bye week, but I'm not willing to count the Chiefs out of this game in the least bit. As much value as a good running game has, if you don't have a quarterback that can extend drives, then your offense can't have success. That's the scenario that faces Oakland's offense this week. If the Chiefs defense can contain McFadden, I think there is a good chance Kansas City pulls off the win on the road.
Game Notes:
Matt Cassel: 93/140 (66.4%) passing, 945 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs
Kyle Boller: 8/14 (57.1%) passing, 100 yards
Dexter McCluster: 32 carries, 172 yards, 5.4 ypc
Darren McFadden: 111 carries, 610 yards, 5.5 ypc
Dwayne Bowe: 23 receptions, 420 yards, 4 TDs
Darrius Heyward-Bey: 22 receptions, 345 yards, 1 TD
Chiefs Defense: 17th in Passing (249.6 ypg); 21st in Rushing (119.6 ypg); 19th in Total (369.2 ypg)
Oakland Defense: 28th in Passing (283.5 ypg); 16th in Rushing (113.2 ypg); 28th in Total (396.7 ypg)
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