To break their seven-game losing streak, the Las Vegas Raiders will face a stern test.
On Friday, the Raiders (2-9) square off against the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) at Arrowhead Stadium for a matchup between AFC rivals.
The last time the Raiders were in Arrowhead, they pulled off a shocking Christmas Day upset over the Chiefs, beating them 20-14. The Chiefs got a measure of revenge earlier this season, defeating the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium 27-20 in Week 8.
Here are three things to keep an eye on as the Raiders hope to pull off the upset:
The return of Aidan O’Connell
While the Raiders lost quarterback Gardner Minshew to a broken collarbone last week against the Denver Broncos, another has re-entered the picture.
On Monday, the Raiders designated Aidan O’Connell to return from injured reserve, and he is currently on track to start against the Chiefs. O’Connell has been out since Week 7 after suffering a broken thumb against the Los Angeles Rams. O’Connell was in at quarterback for the Raiders during the Christmas upset, but he only put up 62 passing yards in the defense-driven effort. While there are still things to work out during practice and backup Desmond Ridder is ready to go in the event of a setback, O’Connell will receive the nod if he’s fully healthy.
“We’ve got a short week, so obviously, the timeline is kind of sped up,” Raiders interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner said. “We’re going to evaluate those guys. Ultimately, [Raiders head] Coach [Antonio Pierce] will make the decision on who we’re going with. You’ve just got to get somebody ready to play in a short period of time, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Facing the Chiefs defense
Turner has had some ups and downs in his first two weeks, and he now faces another demanding challenge.
For the second straight week, the Raiders have to face off against a top-ten defense in the NFL. What the Chiefs lack in pure star power outside of defensive tackle Chris Jones, they more than make up for it by being well-coached and efficient as a team. The Chiefs have given up the ninth-lowest points per game, with opponents only scoring 19.8 points on average against them. They also give up only 300.8 yards per game, good for fourth in the league. It means that the Raiders will find explosive plays hard to come by, so they will need to develop a plan to get into a rhythm offensively and find matchups that they can exploit.
”It’s just solid defense,” said Turner. “They do a great job, you know, giving you different looks. Obviously, 95 (Jones) is a great player so you always got to be aware of him and account for him. They’re flying around, they play fast, and you can’t make mistakes because they’re looking to capitalize.”
Embrace the trap
There is a reason why football games are not played on paper.
Despite the imposing record, the Chiefs’ season has been a slog so far. They have had five of their ten victories come down to the final play of the game, including last week’s shocking near-upset against the Carolina Panthers. The usually dominant Chiefs offense has been up-and-down, while the defense has struggled over the past two weeks. The Raiders, with nothing to play for except pride, have the opportunity to catch their rival in a rough patch, and the team is in the exact mindset to pull off arguably the biggest upset of the season.
“I don’t play to get a better pick. That doesn’t even register in my brain,” said defensive end Maxx Crosby. “I know these guys are trying to win. We’ve got great players in this locker room, guys who put everything into it … I never doubt the players and the mindset of everybody in that locker room.”
