Why Chiefs vs. Raiders is biggest AFC West game in recent history
The Kansas City Chiefs look to get revenge against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11 in the biggest AFC West matchup in several years.
Andy Reid‘s success coming out of the bye week is something that gets brought of every year with good reason. Over the course of his head coaching career, he has piled up a winning record of 18-3 following the regular season bye. Extending to the post-season, Reid has gone 5-2 when given a bye week during Wild Card weekend.
Like the last two seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs face the Las Vegas Raiders following their bye week. While the black and silver kept it close in 2018, the 2019 showcase was a blood bath winning 40-9. Lucky for Derek Carr, the second game against the Chiefs this season will be played in Las Vegas. That takes the weather out of the equation. Before Week 5, the Raiders hadn’t won a game inside Arrowhead Stadium since 2012.
Since Reid came to Kansas City, he has had great success against AFC West opponents. Outside of struggles the first couple of seasons against the Denver Broncos when Peyton Manning was still a top quarterback, Big Red has had his way with the division rivals. Dating back to 2015, the Chiefs have built a 29-4 record against the AFC West if you include 2020.
Until this season, the Raiders had failed to win a game against the Chiefs since October of 2017. The Week 11 matchup isn’t just about Reid getting his 19th win coming off a regular-season-by-week or playoff seeding. Kansas City remembers the previous matchup all too well as their only loss in the last calendar year and a game in which they looked awful.
Add in the talks about the Raiders taking a victory lap around the stadium following their victory in Week 5, and it just adds to the fire that likely was already burning. While the media is likely making this situation more than it is, it’s certainly led to some fun banter back and forth between the two teams. When asked about the victory lap, Andy Reid responded with:
"“They won the game, so they can do anything they want to do,” the Chiefs coach said on Monday. “That’s not our style.”"
Later in the interview, Reid was asked if it was more difficult for a team to play an opponent for the second time when it won the first game earlier in the season. His first response was a simple no but added to it with another remark.
"“I think they [do] or they wouldn’t have driven the bus around the stadium.”"
Gruden was asked about the victory lap in his interview this week as well. He looked shocked that it came up as if he didn’t want that getting out. Making it sound like the victory lap was due to “smart-aleck remarks” from a bus driver, it’s doubtful that a bus driver was the real reason. Either way, the Chiefs will be looking for payback from arguably their worst game in over a year.