Things change quickly in the National Football League. A month ago, no serious journalist gave the Las Vegas Raiders a shot at being competitive in the AFC West. Much like the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs, they were expected to languish in the league's basement as a rebuilding team. Entering Week 4, the Raiders have a share of first place in the division and are one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the conference. That presents an unexpected early-season challenge for a Chiefs team looking to reassert itself as one of the NFL's elite teams.
This is a good thing for Kansas City. A litmus test on the front side of the bye week gives the Chiefs a chance to see how they stack up against a frontrunner in the AFC. After their Week 5 reprieve, Andy Reid and company will travel to Denver and Seattle in consecutive weeks (7 and 8, respectively). Those two games will be another barometer for whether the Chiefs are ready for a playoff-caliber slate down the line. In Weeks 12 through 16, they’ll see the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers. The first three of those matchups will be played on the road.
The Raiders have plenty to prove against the Chiefs
The Raiders will be juiced up for this game. They have a chance to make a statement against their fiercest division rival in their own building, a stadium where the Chiefs hoisted a Lombardi Trophy. Allegiant was the site of Kansas City’s most recent Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers. If the Raiders win, the “pretender” talk stops. Lose, and the saxophones only get louder.
Under the leadership of new head coach Klint Kubiak, the Raiders are better coached than they were a year ago. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is fresh off a three-touchdown day against the New Orleans Saints, and young offensive skill players Ashton Jeanty (RB) and Brock Bowers (TE) are helping the Las Vegas offense post nearly 30 points per contest. Kansas City will need a strong week of preparation and a creative game plan to stay unbeaten.
A 4-0 start would put Kansas City in an enviable position
The stakes are high for Kansas City. This game matters because the Chiefs are off to a white-hot start, one that's presented them with a high-leverage game early in the year. A fourth win heading into the bye would give the Chiefs their fourth conference win, second division win, and some much-needed confidence with a tougher stretch of the schedule ahead.
If the Chiefs handle business on Sunday, they'll enter the bye with the pole position in the West and in full control of their quest for the AFC's No. 1 seed. Despite a 3-0 start, we've still seen this team's warts. Kansas City has open questions at left tackle, along their defensive front, and with the output floor of the receiver room. The back stretch of their schedule will demand their best football. Fortunately for the Chiefs, the month of September is never about aesthetics. It's a chance for teams to work out the kinks and put themselves into position when cold weather and more competitive football arrive.
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