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

Josh Jacobs versus Chiefs’ rush defense

If the defense can continue to play as well as it has against the pass, the only other concern is whether or not the team can stop the run. Kansas City not only has a weak rush defense (27th in DVOA), they’ve also demonstrated at times that their linebackers are incapable of covering running backs out of the backfield.

These issues could prove problematic when running back Josh Jacobs, the defending Offensive Rookie of the Year, faces off against the Chiefs.

While he has not approached his rookie year numbers (yet), he has put together 400 yards from scrimmage through four weeks, including 300 on the ground. He’s also scored three touchdowns (though all were in Week 1).

Kansas City’s rush defense looked rough in Weeks 1 and 2, but has looked better against much tougher rushing teams in the Ravens and Patriots over the last two weeks. Despite what has felt like improvement, the Chiefs are still giving up 161 yards per game on the ground and 5.3 yards per carry. Jacobs has to love his odds against those numbers.

Can Willie Gay, Jr. continue his upward trend and help the rush defense? Does a return (in theory) of Chris Jones help curb Jones’ effectiveness? Time will tell, but this must be a concern for Spagnuolo and the defense in Week 5.