3 Chiefs concerns that need to improve before Week 4 clash with Raiders

Week by week, there are always going to be parts of the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, defense and special teams that are exposed by somebody on the opposing team. In Week 2, the Colts brought the Chiefs to overtime and caused players like L'Jarius Sneed to step up against Miami this past week.

Sneed, along with other players, definitely did step up at Hard Rock Stadium, but this week there are some familiar faces that need to step up before the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders take their first snap against the 3-0 Chiefs.

1. Nikko Remigio needs to step up

The Chiefs' special teams were an issue both weeks leading up to Miami, once because of penalties and once because of poor decision-making that could have caused Indianapolis to flip the script.

Sadly, Week 3 against Miami showed that Remigio keeps taking one step forward and two steps back—literally. Instead of massive penalties or not calling a fair catch while gunners close in, Remigio decided to pin his team within the 10-yard line voluntarily ... twice.

Once, at the end of the first half, Remigio saw a 36-yard punt sail through the air and down to the nine-yard line, where most returners would let it go and bounce into the end zone for a touchback. Instead, the Filipino from Fresno State fair-caught the ball and forced Mahomes to start the final drive of the half dropping back into his own end zone.

Then, less than an hour later, Remigio fair-caught a 34-yard punt at the very end of the third quarter ... at the Kansas City eight-yard line. And to make matters worse, a holding penalty on Nohl Williams forced Mahomes to take the first snap of the final quarter at the four-yard line.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has been on a warming seat for what seems like years now, but if he couldn't get the simplest concept of when to wave and when not to through the brain of Remigio, then he obviously didn't try hard enough. Everybody on the sidelines, in the stadium or watching at home knows that a punt past the 10-yard line should at least have the chance to bounce into the paint.

2. The third-down defense needs to step up

One of the major flaws of Steve Spagnuolo's defense, particularly the past few seasons, has been the inability to get off the field on third downs. Last season, the Chiefs allowed over a 43% success rate on third downs (fourth-worst in the NFL), meaning key players like Chris Jones and George Karlaftis have to stay on the field and continue to tire out.

So far, during the Chiefs' first two games of the season—at home—they allowed just over 29% to be converted (11th-best), but their first game on the road showed some fissures when they allowed 8-of-16 (50%) past the line to gain. Even though it's only been one game, it was against one of the worst teams in the league, which happened to be without their star running back after the first drive.

Miami converted a 3rd-and-8 to enter the red zone, an 11-yard run on 3rd-and-9, a 19-yard catch-and-run on 3rd-and-10, a 12-yard pass over the middle on 3rd-and-6, and a scramble through the line for 11 on 3rd-and-6. All of those were converted without Kansas City's help, but add in the two first-down-gifting penalties on a third and fourth down, and that's seven of the eight allowed.

A 50 percent success rate currently ranks as the eighth-worst in the league, behind teams like Tampa Bay (57.14%), Dallas (60%) and Detroit (75%). Luckily, the defense has faith in Mahomes to be able to turn any bad situation into victories.

If the Chiefs can't stop a bottom-level offense without its best player on offense (De'Von Achane), especially on third-and-medium and third-and-long, then it's going to be a long, exhausting season for a pass rush that already has issues. Just wait until they play better quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy.

Up next, the Las Vegas Raiders, in a stadium that will surely be more deafening for Kansas City than it has been in a long time thanks to their surprising 3-0 start to the season—marking the first time that both teams will face each other as undefeated teams in Week 4.

Unfortunately for Spagnuolo, Jones, Karlaftis and the rest of the defense, Vegas ranks in the top half of the league (14th) in third-down conversions (41.03%). Not only that, they had the fifth-best percentage last week in their win over New Orleans (58.3%).

No matter which way you look at it, the defense cannot continue to stay on the field when it has opponents buried deep behind the line to gain. And Vegas will make sure to bring some trickery, some long-time resentment and some anger on those third downs in Week 4.

3. Rashee Rice needs to step up

There are plenty of reasons to ask for more from Rashee Rice, not including the return from injury, which had to be rehabbed in a jail cell. And so far this season, he has improved with every game, going from two catches in Week 1 to four against Indianapolis to seven in Miami.

Not only that, but with his targets and receptions going up, his yardage has improved every week so far, from 19 to 83 to 88. But once again, the only mistake that could have flipped the game was when Rice could not haul in a pass right in his hands before the end of the second quarter.

Not only could he not bring in the easy pass on his side, but he deflected it up into the air and into the hands of Miami's rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez for the first interception of his career.

The pass wasn't perfect, but it hit his hands, and Chiefs fans have become tired of Receiver-Caused Interceptions (also known as RCIs). Every one brings back anxiety flashbacks, specifically last year when fans saw Travis Kelce cause two in major moments of the season.

Rice has a lot to prove this season, and he's doing it all to try and get a second contract that many don't believe he deserves. So far, he's on pace to put up 74 receptions for 1,077 yards and six touchdowns through 17 games, and while Chiefs Kingdom would kill for that from receivers over the past few seasons, it might not be enough to keep the SMU superstar in red and yellow for another season.

Be sure to check back every week after the Chiefs game to see who has stepped up and who needs to step up in order for Kansas City to stay undefeated and continue their dynastic run over the past half-decade.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow