The Las Vegas Raiders walk into Week 4 with a chance to grab the AFC West lead outright, and the assignment could hardly be bigger. They’re unbeaten, the Kansas City Chiefs are unbeaten, and Sunday’s winner will stand alone at the top of the division.
For Las Vegas, this is also the hardest test of the 2026 season so far. Kansas City has rolled out a high-powered offense for most of the year, which puts a spotlight on Rob Leonard and the Raiders’ defense.
At the same time, the Raiders’ offense has been one of the steadiest units in the league, even if the ground game hasn’t been especially efficient. They’re still scoring 29.0 points per game, and that gives them a real chance if they can win a few key battles.
The first one is obvious: slow down Kenneth Walker III. He’s leading the league in rushing yards and has become the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ attack through three games.
But that challenge goes beyond just tracking the run game. Kansas City is leaning heavily on play-action, using it on 32% of its dropbacks this season, and Patrick Mahomes is already second in play-action passing yards with four touchdowns.
The Raiders need to make Kansas City earn everything on the ground and put the offense in third-and-long situations. Miami found some success with that approach last week, and it would not be a surprise to see Tommy Eichenberg on the field more often than an extra defensive back.
On the other side, Las Vegas has to get its own play-action game working. With defenses packing the box against Ashton Jeanty, that part of the offense needs to matter more than ever.
Kirk Cousins has been excellent off play-action, throwing five touchdowns without an interception and ranking second in the league in passer rating at 141.0, according to PFF. Kansas City has had trouble handling play-action concepts this season, and that gives Kubiak a clear area to attack.
If the Raiders can make linebackers hesitate, it could also help open things up for the run game by keeping defenders honest.
Then there’s the pass rush, where Leonard has been aggressive all year. That approach needs to show up again against one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
Kansas City’s offensive line has had issues with stunts this season, and Miami has already had success creating pressure with defensive-line games and twists. Leonard has been comfortable dialing up exotic looks, and this matchup seems tailor-made for more of the same.
On third down, expect him to heat things up and force Mahomes to get the ball out fast.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Face A Familiar Allegiant Problem Before Chiefs Game
When Allegiant Stadium opened, Raiders fans were told it would give the team a true home-field edge in Las Vegas. Instead, Sundays against Kansas City have often turned into a familiar sight, with plenty of red in the stands and visiting fans making the trip well in advance of kickoff. With the Chiefs coming to town again on Sunday, the Raiders are once more bracing for a crowd that will not look especially friendly.
Raider Nation Radio host JT the Brick has been pushing a message Raiders fans have heard before: keep the tickets in Raiders hands and do not let them end up with opposing fans. Projections suggest 64 percent of the crowd will be wearing silver and black, which would make the Chiefs contingent a little smaller than in some previous meetings, but the bigger question for Las Vegas remains the same. At Allegiant, the home crowd has had to fight to sound and feel like one for a while now. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Get A Brock Bowers Twist Right Before Chiefs Game
Brock Bowers popped up on the injury report Friday with an illness, giving the Raiders a late-week wrinkle heading into Sundays matchup with the Chiefs. The rookie tight end has quickly become one of the more important pieces of Las Vegas offense, and the timing of any concern around him is less than ideal with Kansas City on deck.
The good news for the Raiders is that Bowers is still expected to play, even after being listed questionable. He already worked through an early-season absence after a meniscus trim and came back with a strong showing in Week 3, so Las Vegas has reason to believe this latest issue is more of a brief nuisance than a real setback. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Make Intriguing Chiefs Gameday Shakeup With Young Talent Involved
Aidan OConnell is back in the mix for the Raiders on Sunday, and his return to emergency third-quarterback duty was part of a noticeable Week 4 shuffle as Las Vegas adjusted its game-day roster for the trip to face Kansas City. The bigger personnel wrinkle for the Raiders came on the defensive side, where rookie Dalton Johnson was active for the first time and stepped in at safety, giving the coaching staff a fresh look in the secondary.
Las Vegas also turned to JJ Pegues over Jonah Laulu, another sign that the Raiders were willing to make some young-player decisions on a short week of roster management. It all comes against a Chiefs team missing starting left tackle Josh Simmons, a development that could influence how the matchup unfolds up front even before the Raiders get a chance to test their own new combinations on defense. [Read more 🡒]