A quick turnaround will offer both the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) and the Oakland Raiders (2-4) a chance at redemption Thursday night when they face off at the Oakland Coliseum.
For your viewing pleasure, this TNF game will be broadcast on your local CBS station as well as the NFL Network at 8:25 p.m. EST. I’ll be live blogging it here at GetMoreSports.com so come hang out. I’ll try to make it fun.
The Game: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders (+3)
O/U: 46.5
The History
This will be the 117th meeting between the Chiefs and Raiders going back to the old AFL in 1960. Kansas City leads the all time rivalry 62-52-2.
Last year the Chiefs swept the Raiders on their way to an AFC West title. They beat Oakland 26-10 at the Oakland Coliseum and 21-13 at Arrowhead.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-1)
Kansas City is coming off its first loss of the season, a 19-13 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead. Now, just on paper this wasn’t a bad loss. No team is going undefeated and the Chiefs are 5-1, in firm command of the AFC West and, really, the entire AFC. In reality, it’s a loss that will sting and stay with KC for the rest of the regular season.
First off, it was at home, a place where the Chiefs are historically very hard to beat. Second, it was to the Steelers, the team that knocked Kansas City out of the playoffs last year. This should have been a revenge game. One where the Chiefs showed how far they’d come since last January. Instead, all the same weaknesses were there for Pittsburgh to exploit.
Le’Veon Bell rushed 32 times for 179 yards and a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger, a week after talking like he was ready to hand in his cleats, had a solid performance, completing 17 of 25 passes for 252 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Antonio Brown was unstoppable, catching eight passes for 155 yards and a score. There were three players the Chiefs’ defense needed to stop and they whiffed on all of them.
This was a game that could have not only knocked the bad taste out of KC’s mouth for the playoff loss, but knocked the Steelers out of the hunt for good. It would have been psychologically damaging to Pittsburgh to fall after all the sad sack-ery last week. Now, the Steelers are completely rejuvenated and the Chiefs have all the psych problems, knowing they can’t beat Pittsburgh.
The Chiefs come into this game without guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff again. They’ll also be without the services of running back Charcandrick West, who is still in the concussion protocol.
OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-4)
The Raiders are just reeling. They’ve lost four games in a row and even the return of Derek Carr last week couldn’t push them past the finish line. Their defense hasn’t shown up since Week One and has played with all the heart of a baby chipmunk. They added NaVorro Bowman to the linebacking corps and he’s expected to suit up and play. They need him. Not just for his talent, but for the stones he brings to the defense. This is a unit very poor on cajones.
Marshawn Lynch continues to disappoint not only the Raiders and their fanbase, but in any fantasy owner who thought he’d be piling up the Beast Mode yardage. They needed him last week and only got 13 carries for 63 yards. Is this Lynch or the playcalling? Either way, it’s not working and something needs to change.
Carr has to deal with pain from, what is apparently, multiple fractures in his back. Last week he completed 21 of 30 for 171 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Hopefully, for his sake, he’s feeling better this week. He’ll still need a shot before the game and at halftime to stay in there. Needless to say, Justin Houston, Dee Ford and the rest of the Chiefs defense will be heading straight for him like freight trains.
The Pick
With Carr banged up and the offense still having problems, I don’t see Oakland pulling this one out. The Chiefs are still a good team and as long as they aren’t facing off against anyone in black and gold, they should be OK. Chiefs 27, Raiders 17
Last week
Straight up: 5-9
Against the spread: 5-9
Season
Straight up: 48-43
Against the spread: 43-48
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