The Kansas City Chiefs are seeing an offensive resurgence with the play-action emphasis and running game elevating the unit to new heights. This week, the Chiefs will look to continue an efficient offensive start against their division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders haven't put up much of a fight since Patrick Mahomes took over. But with Mahomes at the helm, there is one element that hasn't been so pretty to look back on: the ground game's performance.
Kansas City has had some pretty fascinating names lead them in rushing against Las Vegas among non-Mahomes players. In nearly a decade, the list of unlikely rushing leaders and minimal outputs has been a sore spot against this rival. That makes for a new opportunity for Kenneth Walker III to potentially change Kansas City's course yet again.
Chiefs' lack of rushing outputs in Mahomes' starts vs. Raiders
Mahomes has faced the Raiders 15 times in his career. There were still a handful of notable rushing totals by Kansas City as a team in those meetings. However, those stretches were few and far between. The Chiefs have topped 100 rushing yards as a team just six of 15 times in Mahomes' starts against the Raiders.
Kansas City has produced 85 team rushing yards or fewer just as many times in that span against Las Vegas. The team rushing aspect is one thing. But the running backs have rarely, if ever, gotten rolling with Mahomes in these meetings. In fact, Mahomes has been the Chiefs' leading rusher twice in his career against the Raiders. Two other times, he was within 20 yards of K.C.'s leading rusher on that particular day. Tyreek Hill even came away with a serviceable set of rushing yards in one outing versus the Raiders.
No Chiefs running back has reached 70 rushing yards against the Raiders when Mahomes started. Clyde Edwards-Helaire's 69 rushing yards against them in 2020 are the most any non-Mahomes player has tallied in this rivalry over those 15 matchups. Kansas City's leading rusher has reached at least 60 yards only three times in that span and at least 50 yards just six other times. Most notably, Kansas City had a pair of games against the Raiders where the leader finished in the twenties for rushing yards.
Walker can outpace past Chiefs' totals in perhaps a handful of carries
The Chiefs' rushing leader list against the Raiders in those last 15 with Mahomes certainly includes some one-off names. Beyond CEH, Derrick Gore finished with the second-most rushing yards (66) of those last 15 meetings. But 51 of his 66 yards came on a touchdown in garbage time of a blowout Kansas City victory.
Damien Williams, Spencer Ware, Darwin Thompson, LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon, and Kareem Hunt all finished as non-Mahomes rushing leaders one time apiece. Ware's game saw Mahomes be the leader by five yards, though. McCoy's 23 yards were the fewest of any name against the Raiders in those outings. Isiah Pacheco also led the way a handful of times versus Las Vegas.
Walker may only need a few carries on Sunday to best what most of those names accomplished against the Raiders with Mahomes. Walker tallied 70 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry last week in Miami. That is the lowest output for him in either category for a single game so far this season. Despite that, Walker is still the league's leading rusher through three weeks with 360 yards. The Chiefs would have loved to have received that kind of production in previous meetings with the Raiders.
The Raiders' revamped defense won't make it easy on Walker
In their first three games of the season, the Raiders have topped the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints. Las Vegas is currently eighth in scoring defense and 11th in total yards allowed.
As for the rushing defense, the Raiders sit 19th in rushing yards allowed (349) and 22nd in yards allowed per rush attempt (4.5). Opponents have managed two rushing touchdowns against them so far. This comes with Las Vegas facing 78 carries in the first few weeks.
The Raiders went out and spent a ton of money this offseason. Notably, linebacker additions Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have paid off tremendously early. Las Vegas has more strength, instincts, and stability at its second level. It should not go unnoticed that run-stuffing nose tackle Foley Fatukasi was also brought in to beef up the front for the Raiders. This defense definitely offers more punch and pulse than what the Chiefs have typically seen outside of Maxx Crosby in recent years.
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