Raiders vs. Chiefs: Kansas City holds the edge in key matchups

Derek Carr versus Chiefs’ secondary

If you have not heard, Kansas City has the top ranked pass defense in football based on DVOA. That is, in all honesty, quite stunning. The Chiefs have been without (arguably) their top cornerback from a season ago in the suspended Bashaud Breeland. They’ve also dealt with injuries to their other starter from 2019 in Charvarius Ward, who missed a game after fracturing his hand. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, the Chiefs lost their top corner through the season’s first three games in rookie L’Jarius Sneed, who broke his collarbone against Baltimore in Week 3.

Despite all of this, the Chiefs boast the best pass defense in the NFL. That is incredible.

Three things are clear as a result. First, Juan Thornhill and Tyrann Mathieu make up the best safety duo in the league. Second, the team’s pass rush helps the secondary immensely, and the Chiefs have a deep group of quality pass rushers. Third, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his staff are really good at coaching up unheralded cornerbacks.

On Sunday, Derek Carr faces off against the (now vaunted) Chiefs’ pass defense, in the midst of the best start to a season in his career. We’re likely to learn some things as a result of the contest. Either Kansas City’s elite pass defense continues its work, which makes the Chiefs a truly lethal team to face in January, or Derek Carr is really good and the Raiders have a direction moving forward.

We’ll let you decide which is more true, but remember, the Chiefs get Breeland back Sunday.