The Kansas City Chiefs are up against the Oakland Raiders for the first of two games in the 2019 series, which means it is time for the Madden simulation of the game.
The Kansas City Chiefs are facing the Oakland Raiders for the first time this season. Seeing how Madden predicts the game to go is a nice treat for Chiefs fans as they prepare themselves for ‘Raider Week’, a name dubbed by Chiefs Kingdom of the infamous Chiefs-Raiders rivalry.
Lots of new additions in the offseason and late preseason has nearly squashed any doubts about the Chiefs’ dominance. One such addition is running back LeSean McCoy, who signed with the team as a free agent ahead of Week 1.
McCoy had 81 rushing yards on 10 carries and 1 reception for 12 yards. That alone is impressive, factoring in the split carries with Damien Williams and the offensive onslaught of the Chiefs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Like Week 1, this Madden 20 simulation predicts McCoy will have a monster game and lead the Chiefs to victory.
First Half
The game started out with the Chiefs winning the coin toss and deferring the ball to the Raiders. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs began the Raiders’ opening drive with a 6-yard rush up the middle, and the team eventually driving to the Chiefs’ side of the field all the way down to the 25-yard line. Perhaps it was inexperience, or just absolute dreadnought status for defensive end Alex Okafor, but Jacobs met his match as he was leveled after picking up two yards. The massive hit led to Jacobs fumbling the ball, which was recovered by linebacker Damien Wilson all the way to the end zone for a Chiefs touchdown.
Starting the game off right is essential to maintaining momentum, especially when playing against a division rival. The Chiefs did just that, and continued to push the pedal down against the Raiders as the very next possession was a mere 3-and-out. The Raiders showed that they came to play, too, however. A nice drive by the Chiefs, which included McCoy rushing 3 times for 21 yards, eventually stalled out; the team was forced to kick a field goal and push their lead up to 10.
Both teams stepped up defensively for the remainder of the first quarter by not allowing any points. Carr’s first quarter completion percentage of 40% did not seem to shake his confidence (about as much as a Madden simulation could anyway). He continued to make eerie passes that would make Raiders fans shiver. One of those passes was nearly an interception by Juan Thornhill, who was a heel away from picking off what could have just as easily been a touchdown.
The second quarter seemed to be no different for the Raiders as the team’s offensive woes continued. After forcing the Raiders to punt the ball, the Chiefs exploded onto the field offensively. With just thirty-two seconds taken off the clock in the second quarter, Patrick Mahomes and his offense marched out onto the field. With a quick 6-yard strike to wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who easily turned it into a 12-yard gain, things started to look bright for the men in red on offense.
The reception by Hardman was almost immediately followed by two quick passes to Demarcus Robinson, which turned into a combined 12 yards. Despite Hardman’s 3 catches on the drive, it was McCoy who ruled the quarter. With the ball on the Raiders’ 24-yard line, Mahomes pitched the ball to the veteran McCoy, whose quick feet and elusiveness took over from there. Able to slip tackles and force defenders to miss, McCoy broke loose for a touchdown. It was almost as if he was playing against a junior varsity team; it looked like child’s play with the moves he was making on defenders.
McCoy’s excellence should not take away from Mahomes’ inexplicable dominance, however. The elite quarterback finished the second half with 203 passing yards on 22-of-24 attempts and 2 touchdowns. The Chiefs finished the first half with a total of 24 points versus the Raiders’ 7.
Second Half
The second half was no different for either team. The third quarter was riddled with penalties, sacks, incompletions and ball irresponsibility for the Raiders, while the Chiefs continued to pile on points even without Tyreek Hill in the lineup. The third quarter saw the true emergence of McCoy, who ran the ball 8 times for 35 yards in the quarter alone. Quite impressive, considering he has only been with the team for two weeks of the regular season.
Games cannot be 100% accurately predicted, but simulations and predictions give fans a fun and exciting way to hopefully see what is to come for their teams. For Chiefs fans, an onslaught against the Raiders is always a good thing, especially when the team puts up 38 points to the latter’s 17.
The Chiefs managed to keep possession of the ball whilst running out the clock substantially, with Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy splitting carries throughout the entire fourth quarter. McCoy finished the game with 100 rushing yards on 24 attempts and 1 touchdown, making for an impressive performance by the 31-year old veteran.
Final result: Chiefs 38, Raiders 17
Key Performances
Offense:
- QB Patrick Mahomes (34-of-43, 356 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 124.4 QBR; 5 carries, 26 yards)
- RB LeSean McCoy (24 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown)
- WR Demarcus Robinson (10 receptions, 94 receiving yards)
- TE Travis Kelce (8 receptions, 90 receiving yards)
- WR Mecole Hardman (7 receptions, 77 receiving yards)
Defense:
- DE Alex Okafor (2 sacks, 1 forced fumble)
- DE Frank Clark (2 sacks, 3 tackles)
- OAK S Lamarcus Joyner (8 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss)
- Damien Wilson (4 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss; 1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive touchdown)