Raiders visit Chiefs for another matchup between longtime AFC West rivals
By The Associated Press
Las Vegas (2-4) at Kansas City (3-3)
Sunday 1 p.m. EDT, CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 12.
Against the spread: Raiders 2-4; Chiefs 3-3.
Series record: Chiefs lead 75-55-2.
Last meeting: Chiefs beat Raiders 19-17 on Nov. 29, 2024, at Kansas City.
Last week: Raiders beat Titans 20-10; Chiefs beat Lions 30-17.
Raiders offense: overall (23), rush (23), pass (18), scoring (29t)
Raiders defense: overall (11), rush (10), pass (19), scoring (23)
Chiefs offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (8), scoring (9)
Chiefs defense: overall (12), rush (19), pass (8), scoring (11)
Turnover differential: Raiders minus-4; Chiefs plus-4.
Raiders player to watch
DE Maxx Crosby had two sacks against the Titans and leads the NFL with 10 tackles for loss. Tracking down Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is a whole different challenge, but it’s one that Crosby seems to savor, a feeling that is mutual based on what both players have said. It certainly is a delight for fans to watch the two go at it.
Chiefs player to watch
WR Rashee Rice comes back from his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy when he caused a high-speed crash on a Dallas highway in March 2024. He is also playing for the first time since tearing his ACL four games into last season, when Mahomes collided with him while trying to make a tackle following an interception.
Key matchup
The Chiefs wide receivers against the Las Vegas pass defense. Mahomes has been playing at an MVP-caliber level ever since getting Xavier Worthy back from a shoulder injury that he sustained in a Week 1 loss to the Chargers. Now, he has Rice joining a mix that also includes Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Key injuries
Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee) could miss his third game in a row. The Chiefs are fully healthy.
Series notes
The Chiefs have won nine of the past 10 matchups and 14 of the past 16 going back to the 2017 season. The most recent Raiders win was at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day in 2023, which turned out to be the last time Kansas City lost that season. It won its last two regular-season games, then four playoff games, including the Super Bowl against San Francisco.
Stats and stuff
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty has forced 34 missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats, which is second in the league. That has resulted in 193 yards rushing, the third most. … The Raiders’ 37 tackles for loss are one behind leader Tampa Bay. … Las Vegas’ 10 passes defended by defensive linemen is easily the most. Indianapolis and New Orleans are next at six apiece. … The Raiders’ 240 yards rushing against Chicago on Sept. 28 is the highest total for an NFL team this season. … Crosby needs one sack to join Greg Townsend as the only Raiders with at least five sacks in each of his first seven seasons since the statistic has been kept in 1982. … WR Jakobi Meyers has multiple receptions in 30 consecutive games. … Bowers has caught at least two passes in his first 21 games, which ties the longest streak for a TE to open a career. Detroit’s Sam LaPorta set the record in 2023-24. … Las Vegas S Jeremy Chinn needs one sack to become the eighth defensive back since 1982 with six consecutive seasons with at least one. … K Daniel Carlson’s 214 made field goals are the second most since he entered the league in 2018. He is one behind Justin Tucker. … Mahomes is 12-2 against the Raiders with 33 TD passes in those games. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs two TDs to tie Priest Holmes (83) for most in franchise history. Kelce has a catch in an NFL-leading 180 straight games. … Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco has four TD runs in his past four games against Las Vegas. … Brown had two TD catches for Kansas City last week against Detroit. … Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu has a sack in back-to-back games.
Fantasy tip
As tempting as it might for Rice owners to put him into the starting lineup after waiting for six weeks, it might be worth waiting one more. The Chiefs are likely to ease him back into the mix, perhaps giving him 30 or so snaps against Las Vegas. With their passing attack already humming, there is no need to rush him back into full-time duty.
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