Chiefs vs. Raiders: 3 key matchups to watch
By David Thomas
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season, but the Oakland Raiders are coming off four straight losses. On a short week it’ll be a tough test for both teams.
With both teams coming off a loss, who will rebound? The Raiders have looked less than impressive for most of the season. Derek Carr was out for just one week with a back injury and upon his return managed just 171 passing yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs.
Demarcus Robinson took over for Chris Conley last week and had the most targets of his career. Unfortunately Alex Smith wasn’t able to make a connection and Robinson was only able to get 1 reception for 16 yards. Will Smith and Robinson be able to get on the same page?
On Thursday Night Football the Chiefs will face just their 2nd divisional opponent of the season and their 3rd prime time game in 4 weeks. Who can help put the Chiefs over the top in this one? Lets find out with these top 3 matchups to watch.
Kareem Hunt vs. Khalil Mack
Two guys who were both underrated coming out of college for playing in the MAC conference will face off for their first time in the NFL. But it wont be the first time they’ve ever seen each other. November 12th 2013 Toledo went into Buffalo and run roughshod over them on their way to a 51-41 victory. Kareem Hunt totaled 186 yards and 1 TD on the ground while Khalil Mack managed 15 total tackles including 2 tackles for a loss. But now with both in the NFL who will come out on top in this one? Well lets find out.
In week 6 Hunt had his worst rushing total of the season of just 21 yards on 9 carries, but was able to secure 5 catches for 98 yards. It was his best receiving total for the season, and Hunt continues into unknown territory as the only rookie to start his career with 6 games of 100+ total yards. Whether it’s on the ground or in the air Hunt always finds a way to make an impact.
Against the Raiders he’ll be facing the 24th ranked rushing defense by Football Outsiders. Over the last 4 games the Raiders have allowed an average of 120.5 rushing yards. This is all despite Mack’s best efforts as he currently ranks 1st in the NFL in run stop percentage (12.5%). This battle could easily go either way when it comes to Hunt vs. Mack. Hunt is elite in making defenders miss (2nd in elusive rating) and Mack is elite in stopping rushers (1st in run stop). My prediction for the game is Hunt gets back in the groove with 15 rushes for 83 yards and 1 TD.