Kansas City Chiefs: Five games to expect on primetime in 2018

Vs. Oakland Raiders

The Chiefs and the Raiders have not had as many epic meetings in recent memory like the Chiefs and Broncos. However, the rivalry is starting to rebuild. Both teams finished 12-4 in 2016, tying for first place with the tie-breaker going to the Chiefs. The Raiders suffered a big set back in 2017 and are expected to rebound in 2018.

The Raiders have not won a division title since 2002, the same year where they lost Super Bowl 37. Since then, they went 6-0 in division games in 2010, becoming the first time since the merger to go 6-0 and not win a division title. The Raiders, as mentioned before, were 12-4 in 2016, but could not win the division despite reaching the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.

But the biggest addition for the Raiders was acquiring head coach Jon Gruden, a former Super Bowl champion with Tampa Bay. Gruden is expected to make the Raiders far more competitive, and perhaps that will lead to a bigger and better rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders.

Last year, the Raiders beat the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in an epic ending, in which the Raiders were given two extra plays due to Chiefs penalties, despite the clock displaying “0:00” on the scoreboard. With no time left, the Raiders, finally, got to the end zone, as the extra point attempt gave them the lead and victory in one of the most exciting games in 2017.

Similar to the Broncos case, the Chiefs and Raiders longtime rivalry is well-known and the two have been part of some great games lately. If the NFL puts this matchup on primetime, it will be the third straight year the two teams meet on a big stage.