Writers unanimously predict Chiefs to defeat Raiders in Week 5
By Drew Brooks
After beating the Patriots, the Chiefs are getting ready to take on the Raiders. Our writers unanimously agree and predict a Chiefs win.
Last week, it was the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense that put up a strong performance against the New England Patriots to carry the team to a win. With the Chiefs off to a solid undefeated start through the first quarter of the season, our writers are confident and unanimously pick the Chiefs to beat the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chiefs looked to be off to a hot start last week against the Patriots on their first drive, but the offense stalled in the red zone and they settled for a field goal. They ultimately went into halftime tied with the Patriots 6-3. Then, it was the Chiefs defense that stepped up.
The Patriots were driving in the early third quarter and got into the Chiefs red zone, but defensive end Taco Charlton came up with a huge strip sack that set the Chiefs up to drive 85 yards downfield for a touchdown.
The Patriots put in quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs defense capitalized. Safety Tyrann Mathieu returned an interception 25-yards for a touchdown off of Stidham and cornerback Rashad Fenton added another interception for the Chiefs.
The Raiders, coming in with a 2-2 record, have played well so far this season. Their two wins are from beating the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints, but now they are coming into Arrowhead Stadium on a losing streak of two.
Last week they faced off against the Buffalo Bills and looked good, but not good enough to fend off red hot quarterback Josh Allen. Quarterback Derek Carr threw 44 times and completed 32 of his passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end Darren Waller paced the team in receiving, catching 9 passes for 88 yards.
Despite the Raiders’ offensive performance, if the Chiefs defense plays anywhere close to how it played last week, the Raiders will have an extremely tough time. Both teams are coming into the game mostly healthy, with the Chiefs only missing one player and the Raiders with one player out and four others questionable.
For the Chiefs, defensive end Mike Danna, a rookie, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. For the Raiders, offensive tackle Trent Brown is questionable once again after missing the last two games following a calf injury he sustained in Week 1.
Also questionable for the Raiders are defensive tackle Maliek Collins, wide receiver Rico Gafford, and wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. The only player ruled out for the Raiders is wide receiver Bryan Edwards due to a foot/ankle injury.
With the way the Chiefs have been playing recently, our writers are confident in the team and unanimously pick the Chiefs to win. Here’s a look at our full writer predictions.
Drew Brooks: Chiefs 34, Raiders 14
This game could be a trap game. But, then again, with how the Chiefs have been playing, every game could be considered a trap game. It’s gotta be scary to the rest of the NFL that the Chiefs have been playing sloppy football and are still off to a 4-0 start and look like the clearcut best team in the NFL. I have no doubt that the Chiefs will roll to an easy victory in this one.
Matt Conner: Chiefs 30, Raiders 10
There’s really no reason to bet against the Chiefs at this point as long as they remain healthy—unless someone wants to be a contrarian. Yes, “any given Sunday” and all that, but these Raiders lose time and again at Arrowhead and there’s zero wiggle room in the AFC playoff picture at this point. The Chiefs know how to take care of business and they’ll do just that with relative ease against Jon Gruden and company.
Lyle Graversen: Chiefs 34, Raiders 20
I think we see the offense come out and score early this week after a mediocre output against the Patriots last week. Look for the Chiefs to jump out to a comfortable lead by halftime and then kind of coast through the second half. The final score may not be a huge blowout, but the game will never really be in doubt.
Sterling Holmes: Chiefs 30, Raiders 20
The Chiefs played poorly against the Patriots and still won by 16. I get it, the refs were pretty nice and the Pats didn’t have Cam Newton but that is still 16 points in a game where Mahomes was off. I like the Chiefs putting up a 30-spot in this game where the offense is back to normal, and I expect the Chiefs defense to still be stifling especially with the return of Bashaud Breeland. Don’t look now but the linebacking core of K.C has been solid for two games in a row and I hope Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs can be contained.
Jake Kokoris: Chiefs 23, Raiders 16
This feels like a bit of a trap game, but even if the Chiefs start slow, as we’ve seen this season, sloppy play is enough to get the win. This is Especially true since the raiders‘ secondary is so porous. I’m hoping for 4 complete quarters from our offense.
Scott Loring: Chiefs 41, Raiders 21
The Raiders are a great opponent for any team that might have any offensive frustrations. They tackle worse than the Chiefs do (47 missed tackles through four games) and they have a horrible time getting to the quarterback. They’ve also struggled a lot covering kickoffs and punts this season, allowing 27.1 yards per kick return, and 19.5 yards per punt return. Las Vegas has given up 30 points per game in 2020, including a league-leading 8 rushing touchdowns. Kansas City typically plays weird games, but I expect them to put this one away by halftime. The Chiefs could score 50 points if they wanted to.
Ellen Mathis: Chiefs 34, Raiders 17
It’s Raider week! The Chiefs are coming into this game off a less than stellar offensive performance against the Patriots while the defense is flying high. The Raiders are doing their typical thing under Derek Carr and are riddled with injuries. Carr has also never beaten Patrick Mahomes and hasn’t won at Arrowhead. I think that trend continues.
Byron Smith: Chiefs 31, Raiders 10
The Raiders have given up quite a few yards on the ground and maybe CEH can get back on track. The defense will definitely eat, given the number of turnovers the Raiders are giving away per game.
Travis Steffen: Chiefs 34, Raiders 17
The last time the Raiders beat the Chiefs was in 2017, when Alex Smith was the starting quarterback. In the last three matchups between the two rivals, the Chiefs have outscored the black and silver 103-22. While the Raiders offense looks better in 2020, the defense remains a problem giving up 30 plus points per game. Carr has often struggled against Kansas City.
Kelly Thompson: Chiefs 34, Raiders 12
The secondary for Las Vegas cannot keep up with the Kansas City receiving weapons. The Chiefs will score in bunches as per normal for this rivalry. That will force the Raiders to abandon the running game early and make Derek Carr beat the number one ranked pass defense in football. Spoiler Alert: it doesn’t end well.
Grant Tuttle: Chiefs 41, Raiders 19
The Chiefs have owned Jon Gruden’s Raiders and have absolutely destroyed them in the last several meetings. I expect the Chiefs to have a big play or two from Mecole Hardman and Clyde Edwards-Helaire and roll the Raiders. Las Vegas may have a more talented offense than in previous years, but the Chiefs own the West. Look for a great showing from the Super Bowl Champions.