SNF: Chiefs vs Raiders Game Thread

Sunday Night Football, Week 11. Tonight the Las Vegas Raiders host the Kansas City Chiefs in a renewal of one of the NFL’s longest and best rivalries.

The 8-1 Kansas City Chiefs come into this game on a roll, winners of four straight in which they have outscored the opposition 137 - 73. Patrick Mahomes and company run the most explosive offense in football, one that is nearly impossible to stop. Mahomes has an insane 25 - 1 touchdown to interception ratio in what is shaping up to be another MVP run. The Chiefs at this point look like the best team in the NFL, the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers notwithstanding.

If you want to beat the Chiefs, you’re likely going to have to score, and score big. That’s exactly what the Raiders did a few weeks ago in a 40 - 32 upset win over the Chiefs in Kansas City. It was the biggest offensive explosion of the year for the 6-3 Raiders, and it was one of only two games all year that the Chiefs’ defense allowed more than 20 points. Duplicating that performance may prove tough for the Raiders, but they do come into this game hot, winners of three straight and four out of five. The key to the Raiders’ recent success has been a running game that has averaged more than 190 rushing yards a game over the last three games. The less the Raiders need to lean on mediocre quarterback Derek Carr, the greater their chances of success. The Raiders are two games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West, and a win tonight would pull them within a single game of the division lead, with the head to head tiebreaker on their side. A loss, on the other hand, would all but extinguish any Raiders hope for a division title and inflict major damage on their chances at a wild card berth.

Late season prime time football with major playoff implications; this is what it’s all about this time of year. It’s the Chiefs and the Raiders on Sunday Night Football.

Enjoy the game everybody.