KC Chiefs vs. Raiders: Instant insights from an AFC West showdown
By Matt Conner
L’Jarius Sneed is legitimate
The Chiefs defense overall has been impressive for the last month or more, and certainly many players deserve a mention for their efforts. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t single out defensive back L’Jarius Sneed after such a standout effort on Sunday night.
Sneed was a superstar on defense on Sunday against the Raiders with numerous open-fields tackles and strong instinctual plays that kept the Raiders from gaining offensive momentum. For all the praise Nick Bolton receives in the second level for his toughness and tackling, Sneed was displaying the same from the secondary and has proven to be a versatile weapon for Steve Spagnuolo to deploy as he wants.
Given how good he looked last year as a rookie, it’s clear Sneed is building on that early success and should be up for some serious Pro Bowl consideration this year if he can stay healthy and effective.
Return game still has questions
The Chiefs aren’t lacking players with the sort of dynamic combination of top speed, agility, and vision to break big plays on special teams. However, the best options are also prone to serious mistakes with either questionable decisions and/or fumbling issues. Through Week 10, these clouds are still hanging overhead as the Chiefs have no clear answers.
Mecole Hardman has been the primary punt returner for the Chiefs this season, as he has been in each of the last two seasons. However, Dave Toub has thought twice about depending on him so heavily given that Hardman came into Week 10 with three fumbles. Entering this game, Mike Hughes was given a chance to take over the position, at least early against the Raiders, but the results were much the same.
Hughes took the ball for 37 yards, which was a thrilling boost for the Chiefs special teams, but then Foster Moreau forced a fumble, which was the Chiefs 20th turnover of the year. If Toub came into the game feeling insecure about things in the return game, he’s not feeling any better after Week 10.