The scene is all set for the Kansas City Chiefs to host division rival Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 1st. This will be their second meeting of the 2019-20 season and is sure to be another spectacular fight to the finish. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 28-10 in Week 2, and despite the rocky season of the Raiders, the Chiefs can’t overlook them while thinking about the game against the New England Patriots in Week 14.
The Chiefs are coming off their bye week, which gave players a chance to rest, relax, and heal, while the Raiders are coming into the game after a devastating 34-3 loss to the New York Jets. This will give us an interesting match between a well-rested team and a team looking to make a statement by bouncing back from a loss. However, a word of caution must be given to Raiders fans because the team hasn’t won at Arrowhead since 2012, and they’ve been outscored 160-68, as well.
There’s no doubt the Chiefs’ offense will be ready, especially with Tyreek Hill looking to be back in the lineup, but if the Chiefs want to win, their defense will need to be just as good as they were against the San Diego Chargers in Week 11. While it’s true Patrick Mahomes is coming off his worst performance against the Chargers, the Raiders’ defense against the pass is still as bad as it was in Week 2. The Week 12 game against the Jets proved that.
The Chiefs will need to capitalize on their home-field advantage against this Raiders defense. Also, the Chiefs’ defense will need to continue and improve its level of play as they’ve been doing over the past few weeks. While Derek Carr is a good quarterback, his record at Arrowhead speaks for itself. It’s not good, but the Chiefs can’t afford to be dismissive and give Carr the chance to shine.
The Raiders need to focus on keeping the Chiefs offense off the field and eat up the clock for as long as possible. Carr will need to step up even more and get the Chiefs to make defensive mistakes. The Raiders’ defense will need to find a way to take away the passing game from the Chiefs, which might be a monumental task to undertake but it is possible.
A win over the Raiders will go a long way to ensure the Chiefs are the AFC West Division Champs. If the Raiders can pull off a victory, it might be the start of trying to get into the playoff, even if it’s in a wild card position.
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Raiders 17
