If the Las Vegas Raiders want to pull off the upset against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, it is going to have to be an all hands on deck effort.
While the Chiefs and Raiders have been on much different courses in recent history, the games between the two have often been surprising nail-biters. Two years ago, the Raiders were able to pull out a miracle victory despite not completing a single pass in the final three quarters. They hoped to repeat the magic at Arrowhead last season, but a botched snap on the final drive put an end to those ambitions.
The Raiders know what it takes to beat the Chiefs, and they have the blueprint out of the pieces they have to create the watershed moment of their season.
The Raiders have an X-factor at their disposal this time around.
According to CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, the Chiefs come in to Sunday’s game with momentum on their side, but that could create some hubris on their end.
“Kansas City is coming off of the high of toppling the Detroit Lions on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 6, and they’re set to get wide receiver Rashee Rice back from his six game suspension. Attempting to force feed him the football will throw the Chiefs’ offensive rhythm out of whack,” wrote Podell.
Add to that equation the fact that the Chiefs will be without left tackle Josh Simmons, and the Raiders pass rush could keep their momentum going and get some pressure on Mahomes to disrupt his timing.
For the Raiders when the ball is in their hands, they have the power to put Ashton Jeanty in a successful spot in his biggest game yet.
“The Raiders will give rookie bell cow running back Ashton Jeanty the football over and over and over again to run over and wear Kansas City out, and it will work. Jeanty has exploded for 350 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in the last three games, and he’ll go for over 100 from scrimmage and multiple touchdowns in a narrow Las Vegas win,” Podell predicted.
Defeating the Chiefs in and of itself is a difficult task, but the Raiders have done it before and have the means to pull off what would be the biggest upset of the year.
Brock Bowers shares piece of advice he gave to Ashton Jeanty
