The Kansas City Chiefs have built an offense that finally looks like it’s rolling the way they wanted, with play-action opening things up and the run game giving the unit some real life. Now they get another shot to keep that rhythm going against the Las Vegas Raiders.
That matchup comes with a strange little wrinkle: since Patrick Mahomes took over, Kansas City’s ground game has had a hard time doing much of anything against Las Vegas. The Chiefs have had their share of wins and solid offensive days in this rivalry, but the rushing production has been all over the map - and usually not in a good way.
Mahomes has started 15 games against the Raiders, and Kansas City has topped 100 rushing yards as a team only six times in those meetings. The Chiefs have also finished with 85 rushing yards or fewer in six of those games.
The weird part is how often the leading rusher has been someone you wouldn’t expect. Mahomes has been Kansas City’s top rusher twice against Las Vegas, and in two other games he finished within 20 yards of the team lead.
Tyreek Hill even chipped in a respectable rushing day in one of those matchups.
The bar has been low enough that no Chiefs running back has hit 70 rushing yards against the Raiders in a Mahomes start. Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s 69 rushing yards in 2020 are the high-water mark for any non-Mahomes player in those 15 games. Kansas City’s top rusher has gotten to 60 yards only three times, reached 50 yards just six more times, and in a pair of games the leader finished in the 20s.
The list of names at the top of that category says plenty about how odd this has been. Along with Edwards-Helaire, Derrick Gore finished with 66 rushing yards in one of those games, though 51 of those came on a garbage-time touchdown in a blowout win.
Damien Williams, Spencer Ware, Darwin Thompson, LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams, Jerick McKinnon, and Kareem Hunt each led the Chiefs in rushing against the Raiders once. Ware’s game was especially close, with Mahomes finishing just five yards behind him.
McCoy’s 23 yards were the fewest by any of those leaders. Isiah Pacheco also led Kansas City in rushing a handful of times against Las Vegas.
That opens the door for Kenneth Walker III to change the pattern with very little work. He went for 70 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry last week in Miami, both his lowest single-game marks this season, yet he still leads the league with 360 rushing yards through three weeks. Against a Raiders defense that has given up 349 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry while allowing two rushing touchdowns, that kind of production could be enough to clear the recent Chiefs standard in a hurry.
Las Vegas has started the season by beating the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints, and the defense has been sturdy overall. The Raiders rank eighth in scoring defense and 11th in total yards allowed. But they’ve also been more vulnerable on the ground than in the other areas, and they’ve done it while facing 78 carries early in the year.
The Raiders spent heavily on defense this offseason, and the early returns have been strong from linebacker additions Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. Foley Fatukasi was also brought in to reinforce the front, giving Las Vegas more strength, instincts, and stability at the second level. This group looks more physical than what Kansas City has usually seen outside of Maxx Crosby in recent years.
In Other News...
Russell Wilson Just Added Fuel To Chiefs Raiders Week 4
Russell Wilson is already putting a little extra heat on a rivalry game that usually needs no help. The former NFL quarterback said he believes the Las Vegas Raiders can upset the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, even going as far as suggesting Las Vegas could leave the afternoon matchup at 4-0. He also singled out Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins for the way he has started the season, adding another layer of buzz to a game that will be shown on CBS at 4:25 p.m. EST.
For the Chiefs, its another reminder that the margin for error in the AFC West is never very large, especially when an opponent starts drawing confidence from outside the building. Kansas City has spent years as the standard in the division, but predictions like Wilsons only sharpen the attention around a Week 4 meeting that already carried plenty of weight before anybody started talking about records and momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Andy Reid Is One Raiders Win From An Ironic Stadium Milestone
Andy Reid has already made plenty of history at Allegiant Stadium, and the next trip there offers another chance to add to it. Since the building opened, Reid has piled up six wins there, most of them coming against the Raiders, with the Chiefs Super Bowl 58 victory mixed in as well.
Reid now sits tied with former Raiders head coaches Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce for the most wins by any coach at the venue, which adds a neat layer to an already familiar matchup. One more win over Las Vegas would push him alone to the top of that list, an ironic milestone for a coach whose success in that stadium has so often come at the Raiders expense. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Face An Early AFC West Test Fans Can't Ignore
The Chiefs are heading into Week 4 with a division test that already feels bigger than a September game should. Kansas City and Las Vegas are tied atop the AFC West, and the matchup brings together two teams trying to set an early tone in a race that usually does not sort itself out until much later in the season. Between the expert predictions, the team analysis and the familiar pressure that comes with facing a divisional opponent, this one has the look of a game fans will keep an eye on all week.
For Kansas City, the intrigue goes beyond the standings and into how the roster stacks up against a Raiders team still searching for traction under new leadership. The discussion around this matchup has centered on performances, key players and coaching changes, with plenty of speculation about how the game could unfold. What matters most for the Chiefs is simple enough: a chance to protect their place in the division and get an early read on a rival that could linger in the picture all season. [Read more 🡒]