5 things to watch in the Chiefs-Raiders game Thursday
The good news for the Raiders is they won’t be facing an undefeated Chiefs team on Thursday. The bad news: Kansas City is still considered the best team in the NFL by many.
The reeling Raiders have the daunting task of ending their four-game losing streak against the Chiefs on a short week at home. The Chiefs (5-1) are coming off a loss to the Steelers. Oakland (2-4) lost on a last-second field goal to the Chargers last week.
Kansas City has won its last five games against the Raiders. Here are five things you need to know about the first-place Chiefs:
1. Quarterback Alex Smith and his explosive offense came back down to earth after being contained by the Steelers’ rising defense. Smith struggled for three quarters until he found De’Anthony Thomas for a 57-yard touchdown and a late rally. Smith, an MVP candidate, should get back on track against the Raiders’ secondary, which is ranked 23rd in passing defense. The Raiders, however, did limit Philip Rivers’ weapons a week ago. Smith is completing 72.9 percent of his passes for 1,637 yards, 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
2. Rookie sensation Kareem Hunt also cooled off during Week 6. Hunt, the leading rusher in the NFL with 630 yards, was only able to muster 21 yards on nine carries against the Steeelers. The Raiders had trouble keeping up with the Chargers’ Melvin Gordon as a running back and receiver. Hunt can also do plenty of damage out of the backfield. He recorded 89 receiving yards against the Steelers. The Chiefs won’t have backup running back Charcandrick West (concussion) and brought back C.J. Spiller to fill in.
3. What puts the Chiefs’ offense on another level is the speed of Tyreek Hill and the versatility of Travis Kelce. Hill has stepped up as the team’s No. 1 wideout and is arguably the best punt returner in the league. Hill is dealing with a neck injury but he’s expected to play. New England’s Rob Gronkowski is arguably the best tight end, but Kelce is not far behind. He’s contributing on shovel passes, sweep plays and as a blocker.
4. The Chiefs’ defense has carried the offense in years past, but that hasn’t been the case this season. Kansas City has struggled in the ground game and is giving up 130.7 yards per game. Last week, Le’Veon Bell torched the Chiefs for 179 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs could bounce back against a mediocre rushing attack from the Raiders. Outside of Justin Houston, the Chiefs aren’t getting much contributions from the front seven. The Raiders’ offensive line will need to continue to keep them quiet and keep Derek Carr healthy.
5. Amari Cooper continued his dreadful season with 28 receiving yards against the Chargers. Now he faces arguably the best corner in the league in Marcus Peters. But at this point, the Chiefs might need Peters to shadow Michael Crabtree, the only Raider making plays in the last month.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.