Four Reasons the Chiefs Will Down the Raiders – The Chiefs have an important game coming up this weekend versus the Las Vegas Raiders. As important as this game is in the AFC West standings, the Chiefs should be able to handle their business on Sunday evening with efficiency. If the Raiders do win, they’ll be one game behind the Chiefs for the AFC West title. While no one within the sound of my voice wants to see that happen, there are four good reasons to believe the Chiefs will down the Raiders come Sunday.
Here are four good reasons the Chiefs will whip those Oakland-Los Angeles-Oakland-Las Vegas… Raiders.
The Super Bowl Hangover is Over
I was listening to 810 radio yesterday and they were interviewing someone who was suggesting the Chiefs would have a “Super Bowl Hangover” this season. That very idea runs counter to the #runitback mantra many Chiefs have touted this year. While I must admit I was wondering if the 2020 Chiefs would be as good as the 2019 Chiefs, with the team sitting at 8-and-1, they’ve shown positive signs that no such hangover is holding this team back.
There’s probably no bigger clue that the Chiefs Super Bowl Hangover didn’t hang over at all than their defensive points allowed this season. For many, the Chiefs defense has not performed up to their standards. The reality is, this defense is ranked 6th in points allowed giving up 20.3 points per game. From Team Rankings:
That includes the 40 points they gave up to the Raiders in Week 5. If you take away the 40 points (and Week 5 altogether) then the Chiefs would be averaging only 17.9 points given up per game. Why bring that up? Because the Chiefs didn’t have: L’Jarius Sneed… Charvarius Wards was still working his way back from a surgery on his hand and was playing with it wrapped like he was a Mummy King… and Bashaud Breeland was only in his second game back from a suspension.
In this game, the Chiefs defense should be at full strength in the defensive backfield, which should help the defensive front four put more pressure on the Raiders QB, Derek Carr. As you may know, Carr doesn’t do well when he’s under pressure, but he’s a very good QB if he has time to operate in a clean pocket.
Expect better coverage, and more pressure on Derek Carr this week.
BTW… the Raiders are ranked 19th in points allowed. Now, does it sound like they will give Patrick Mahomes much of a fight?
Andy Reid and His Time Off Record
Everyone knows, Andy Reid led temas have an incredibly good record in the week following a Bye or if he has extra time to prepare. From USAToday:
“In his 22 years as an NFL head coach, Reid has an 18-3 regular-season record after the bye week. Reid’s success even extends to the playoffs, with a 5-2 record after first-round bye weeks following last year’s Super Bowl-winning postseason.”
The impact that Andy Reid has had over the years while in Kansas City culminated in the teams first Super Bowl win in fifty years last February. Team CEo, Clark Hunt, recognizes that influence:
While the atmosphere that Reid has instituted is a positive one for the players… you also don’t want to tick him off:
Sounds like Reid has a chip on his shoulder… and it’s another good reason I don’t expect Reid’s supremacy over the Raiders end this week in Las Vegas.
Return of the Mack, err, Chiefs
It appears several Chiefs are expected to return including: Mitchell Schwartz, Sammy Watkins, L’Jarius Sneed, and Martinas Rankin plus, activating players from the Practice Squad like: Tim Ward, Bryan Witzmann, Marcus Kemp, and Gehrig Dieter. However, as I write this piece, the following Covid restricted player were announced:
I don’t know yet if they will be inactive for this week’s game. We should know by Thursday. If Schwartz is back, he would be the most impactful addition. Having both he and Eric Fisher makes the Chiefs OL a much, much better unit. Just ask Patrick Mahomes (ahh, don’t… he wouldn’t tell you anyway).
Patrick Mahomes
What may have bothered me as much as any other factor prior to this season unfolding was… the engagement of Patrick Mahomes to Brittany Matthews. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not in the least anti-marriage nor anti-relationship. There are some urban myths that go back centuries that include the idea the when Delilah cut off Samson’s hair, she took his power away. As bizarre as that sounds… it did float through my head since Mahomes seemed to start out the year with less that Patrick-like numbers. In four of his first 7 games, PMII threw for less than 237 yards in those games, and only averaged 218 yards passing in those games. However, in the last two games, Mahomes returned to form and has passed for 788 yards with 9 TDs. PLus, Patrick only has given up one (1) INT in the first nine games of the 2020 season… and no other QB has ever done that before.
The reality of Patrick Mahomes is… we are watching the best quarterback to come along in the history of the game.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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