Why Chiefs vs. Raiders is biggest AFC West game in recent history

Vital pieces will be missing in Week 11

Luckily for the Chiefs, the Raiders showed their hand in the first matchup by catching Kansas City off guard with Carr moving the ball down the field. That’s not going to happen again. After seeing Las Vegas throw everything they had at the Chiefs to win back in October, and given the fact that it’s Andy Reid coming off of a bye week, expect for the team to be ready this time around.

In a game that the Chiefs looked probably the worst they have all season, it still took everything the Raiders had to pull off the upset. Getting back in rhythm could mean a strong showing, and we all know the motivation is there.

Raiders general manager Mike Mayock has worked hard to supply Derek Carr with enough weapons to challenge a shootout with Kansas City. With Ruggs, Agholor, and tight end Darren Waller, there are no more excuses for Carr not to produce. Another weapon will be returning this week that Carr didn’t have in Week 5 is rookie wide receiver, Bryan Edwards. On the defensive side of the ball, Damon Arnette returned at the cornerback position last week after missing six games with a fractured thumb.

For the Chiefs, Sammy Watkins was a full participant at practice on Wednesday. Alex Okafor returned from Injured Reserve and was a limited participant in practice. If Okafor does play, it will likely be limited, but the Chiefs could use all the help they can get at the defensive end position. We could see a mix up at the cornerback position with rookie cornerback L’Jarius Sneed returning from injury as well. Like Okafor, the Chiefs might elect to limit his playing time, but his speed and press-man coverage ability would be a massive help against the Raiders’ speed weapons.

Both teams have serious question marks at the tackle positions. Las Vegas will be without right tackle Trent Brown, who is on the COVID-19 reserve list. Left tackle Kolton Miller returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday. Whether he will play is still a question mark. For the Chiefs, Eric Fisher, Martinas Rankin, and Mitchell Schwartz were placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Monday. Mecole Hardman was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list during the bye week.

Schwartz looks to be still dealing with a back injury that has kept him out for the last month. His replacement, Mike Remmers, sustained a rib injury against Carolina in Week 9 and was a limited participant at practice on Wednesday. Fisher and Schwartz could still be activated if they pass all of the COVID-19 protocols to play on Sunday night. It’s also possible that we see rookie Yarir Durant get more playing time due to the injuries at the position.

The offensive line is the primary concern heading to Las Vegas this weekend. Injuries have piled up across the entire line, and missing both starting tackles would be a big hit for Kansas City. Along the line’s interior, the Chiefs look to have their starters, but the group has struggled in 2020.

Mahomes was consistently under pressure last time he faced off against the Raiders, which could be the case this week if some players don’t return in time. Reid elected to abandon the run game last time around due to the Raiders dominating the line of scrimmage, and we could see something similar if some of these players are a no-go. One player they won’t have to worry about is Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who was placed on the COVID-19 reserve.