Week 14 TNF Preview
Week 14 Thursday Night Football Preview
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
5:25PM EST at Arrowhead Stadium
21F – 18F Clear with 9mph winds
KC -3 O/U 46
The Kansas City Chiefs (9-3) will host the Oakland Raiders (10-2) for an AFC West showdown on this week’s Thursday Night Football game. This will be the 113th regular-season meeting between these two teams with the Chiefs leading the series 59-51-2. The Raiders have won six straight while the Chiefs have won seven of their last eight. The Raiders sit atop the AFC West but the Chiefs could take control of the division with a win tonight.
The Chiefs have quietly become one of the NFL’s best teams
The Chiefs are a much better team than what the stat sheet shows. The Chiefs’ defense ranks 29th overall (384.9 yards allowed per game), 27th against the run (121.9 yards per game), and 22nd against the pass (263 yards per game). On paper, the Chiefs’ defensive unit looks terrible. But in the win column, they get the job done. So far this season the Chiefs have bested the Falcons’ No. 1 ranked scoring offense; the Saints’ No. 2 ranked scoring offense, the Raiders’ No. 3 ranked scoring offense and the Chargers’ No. 4 ranked scoring offense — all of whom are divisional opponents. Kansas City’s offense has also been quietly effective. Alex Smith has completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,567 yards, 11 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions this season, earning him a passer rating of 92.5. Tight end Travis Kelce leads the team in both receptions (65) and yards (815). Spencer Ware has done a good job replacing Jamal Charles and has amassed 734 yards on the ground and three scores. Rookie, Tyreek Hill, has scored in the run game, passing game and on special teams. This is a team that steps up in critical moments and finds a way to win.
The Raiders are making a statement
The Raiders have won six straight games since loosing to the Chiefs 26-10 in week 6. A seventh win tonight would be the longest franchise single-season win streak since 1976. The Raiders won the Super Bowl in 1976. The Raiders are a young team and they are endeavoring to make their mark. If third-year quarterback Derek Carr completes two passes tonight, he’ll become the fourth player in NFL history with 1,000 completions through their first three seasons. If he throws another game-winning touchdown, he will extend his NFL record mark to six on the season. If he has another 300-yard game, it would be the 12th of his career and would move him into second-most in franchise history. If Amari Cooper records another 100-yard game, it will be his tenth and make him just the third NFL player with ten 100-yard games at 22-years-old. With just 19 more yards and two more receptions, Cooper will become just the third receiver to start his career with 70 receptions and 1,000 yards in his first two season. The Raiders also have a Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner in Khalil Mack. Mack is having an outstanding season and should set a number of franchise records this season. The Raiders are young, talented and seem to be trending up. If the Raiders can beat the Chiefs, they will have firm control of the AFC West and most likely home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Injury report
None
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