Stopping Darren Waller is key for KC Chiefs to stop the Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) enter Sunday’s tilt at the Las Vegas Raiders (5-3) on a two-game winning streak in spite of their struggling offense. The Chiefs have scored just 36 points in their last three games, but it has been the defense that has kickstarted the Chiefs into winning three of their last four contests.

The Chiefs have allowed the most yards to tight ends in the league this season, surrendering 617 yards in their first nine games.

It won’t get any easier on Sunday Night Football when the Chiefs will be tasked with defending Raiders tight end Darren Waller, one of the premier pass catchers in all the league. Waller averages just over 67 yards per game, fourth in the league among all tight ends.

Trying to match up with the 6’6″ 255-lb. Darren Waller is a nightmare for any defense.

The problem for Las Vegas is that teams are going to be able to clamp down on Waller more in the second half of the season since the release of Henry Ruggs III took away a potent threat in the deep passing game. In their first game without Ruggs in Week 9, Raiders wide receivers were targeted 17 times and totaled just 69 yards, with most of that output from Hunter Renfrow (7/49/1). Quarterback Derek Carr spent much of the game targeting his running backs (18 targets to four different backs) and of course Waller, who led the team with 92 receiving yards.

Recent signee Desean Jackson may suit up in his first game with Las Vegas, but there’s no guarantee he can make any kind of serious impact in the Raiders’ passing game. It will be more important for the Raiders that they keep the Chiefs guessing with a healthy balance of Waller, running back Josh Jacobs, second-year wideout Bryan Edwards, and also Renfrow.

If Kansas City wants to commit one player to try to blanket the former 6th round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, that might be athletic linebacker Willie Gay or either of their 6’1″ cornerbacks, Charvarius Ward or L’Jarius Sneed. Ward typically lines up at left cornerback, and it’s doubtful that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will veer from that strategy. What is most likely is to see a combination of man coverages in which the Chiefs utilize Sneed, Gay, Daniel Sorensen, and Tyrann Mathieu in defense of the Raiders’ star tight end. If the Chiefs can shut down Waller, Carr will have to be laser-sharp elsewhere.