4. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (H)
When the Chiefs face the Raiders at home next season, they will find themselves as heavy favorites to get the W.
Las Vegas showed some grit and determination at times last season—including against the Chiefs—but they also turned in some quintessential Raiders losses as they stumbled to a 6-11 record. The Raiders were far from great last season, and there is plenty to suggest they could be in an even worse spot next time round.
Derek Carr might have played his last game as quarterback for the Raiders, and we just saw last weekend that Jarrett Stidham probably isn’t the answer.
After Vegas declined his fifth-year option, Josh Jacobs is set to become a free agent after leading the league in rushing yards and accounting for all of the Raiders’ rushing touchdowns.
Chandler Jones was one of the biggest free agent busts and anybody on defense not named Maxx Crosby struggled to get a sack.
Metaphorically, the Chiefs have run rings around the Raiders in recent seasons, and last weekend they even did that literally during their emphatic 31-13 victory.
It is hard to see the Raiders being much better next season than they currently are, and Josh McDaniels hasn’t exactly proven he’s the right person to turn things around.
At home, taking on an inferior team in front of tens of thousands of passionate Chiefs fans who love to beat the Raiders, Kansas City should put Las Vegas to the sword.