Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview & Prediction | PFF

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview & Prediction | PFF

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With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world’s largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of five for live sessions based on over 1.7 million client reviews. This World Mental Health Day, we are collaborating with those therapists who have helped millions of people take a step forward. If you’re ready to find the right therapist for you, BetterHelp can help you start that journey. Our listeners get 10% off of their first month at betterhelp.com/pf. That’s betterhelp.com/pf. Raiders chiefs. Unlucky timing for the Las Vegas Raiders to be heading into Arrowhead uh to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Rashi Rice uh is back this week and yeah, if the Chiefs offense wasn’t already, you know, turning the page and starting to fire on all cylinders, uh this could absolutely take it to the next level. What do you think? Do you want to talk about the Chiefs or the Raiders here on this one? I think it’s the big story that everybody in Kansas City is talking about with their offense that is already getting better week to week since the return of Xavier Worthy. Now you get Rasheed Rice back. One of the best receivers in football. I mean, that’s the best way we can put that. Last year before he he got the knee injury, he was in line for one of the best years of any receiver last year. And you look at his career stats, this is just a year, his rookie year plus three games, but 89.3 receiving grades. Ridiculously good. So early in his career, 2.35 yards per route runs outstanding. 24 miss tackles for us. He can win after the catch. And the thing you like about Rice is just about pretty close to an identical number of snaps and routes for him come both on the outside and in the slot. This is somebody who really is a true joker in this offense as Shawn Payeyton might put it. And I know you’re about to say something about me using the term, but I you know I I I just really think now that you have Worthy back as the deep threat, the speed threat, you have to respect. You have Smith Schustster playing well. You have Taekquin Thornton and Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, all the backs. There’s a million different guys now that the Chiefs can throw to. and Mahomes has at his disposal, but he’s getting the single best one of that entire group back and maybe the most versatile one of that entire group back. This Raiders secondary, man, if Rice looks like he’s 100%, especially coming off last year’s injury, obviously missed the first six games with suspension, boy, they’re they’re going to have fits trying to cover this team with all of the threats on the field. And this will be the first week this season where we really get to see the full complement of the Chiefs offense and what Mahomes could do with all of his weapons. Rasheed Rice’s return to me is the thing to watch here. You know, I I think that first and foremost, the Raiders identity on offense uh needs to be solidified here. And it feels like they don’t have a great identity on offense and they don’t have a really great feel because even though the run game has been getting better over the last couple of weeks, and I’ll get to that in a second. We mentioned this in the review show on Monday, Gino Smith’s average target was 2.8 yards this past week. It’s just a far cry from what his career normally usually is. eight, nine, 10, 11 yards down the field. That’s who Gino Smith is. And he threw a good amount of turnover where he plays the previous week against Indianapolis. And so, all right, you’re a little bit gunshy. You’re changing up the game plan a little bit. You don’t want to have to think that he has to play Superman and put the ball in harm’s way, but you can’t go down to 2.8 average to target. Like, there’s there’s no in between there. And unfortunately, the way that I look at this Raiders passing attack now is either the lights on or the lights off. Is the average up to target 10 or is it below five? Like that. It does not feel like there’s a comfortable middle for them to really have a diverse game plan week in and week out. So, first and foremost, if they can’t fix that, they’re not going to win this football game. However, I mentioned that the run game has been a little bit better for them lately. Over the last three weeks, Genty 75.7 rushing grade, 72.4 run blocking grade as a team. So, not only is Ashen Genty playing a little bit better, the run blocking is getting a little bit better as well. What’s the best defense for Patrick Mahomes? Dalton keeping his ass on the sideline. Don’t even let him on the field. You talked about how potent that offense is. There’s only so much they they can do, and by that I mean nothing when they are on the sideline. And I think that’s going to be the best defense in this game. The Raiders have to be able to control the clock. And I think that they’ve been able to run the football better. And when you look at the Chiefs this season, 56.3 run defense grade, 28th in EPA per rush allowed. Not good. And then when it comes to average depth of tackle, they are a little bit better at that. Their average depth target of tackle 3.67. That’s fifth in the NFL. So they’ve been able to rally to the football when they know that it’s going to be a run defense play. But when it comes to really stopping the run when they need to, that EPA per rush mark, they have struggled to do so. And their overall run defense grade has suffered because of it. Can the Raiders limit the amount of possessions that the Kansas City Chiefs have here? And then can they fix the consistency with their pass game? Ultimately, you’re not going to find me betting on it. Chiefs 31, Las Vegas Raiders 20. What do you got? Yeah. No, I I’m with you. I have it. 34 to7 Chiefs. I just think Ashton Genty is the one reason the Raiders can try to slow this game down and win it, especially with some of the struggles the Chiefs have had on their defensive line and run defense. But you’ve also got a great set of linebackers behind him and Nick Bolton and Leo Chanel and Drew Tranquil. Those guys have been outstanding so far. are the Chiefs. Look, if Gino Smith wants to throw down field, he’s going to have a hard time. This has been arguably the best team in football at allowing explosive plays and those longer passes down the field. So, the secondary, Trent McDuffy and those guys are outstanding as well. And I think if last week against the Lions was kind of the uhoh moment, the Chiefs are here again, this week’s only going to confirm that. I really like the Chiefs in this game. I just don’t think the Raiders have enough. Yeah. Walt saying no. What’s Walt saying no at? I was picking the Raiders. Walt, are you picking the Raiders? Of course. Of course he is. You gota You got to have the confidence. No, I don’t know about that. Walt’s pretty honest about when the Raiders are struggling. Come on now. Walt’s Walt’s middle name is confidence. He’s He’s He’s going into this looking for an upset. It’s like It’s like What was it? Was it I thought it was I thought it was pork chop. Was it two years ago? Was it two years ago on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day when the Raiders went in there and won? He’s trying to channel that energy right there. That’s true. I mean, he’s going to need to. They’re gonna need everything that they can get in this

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema preview the matchup between The Las Vegas Raiders and The Kansas City Chiefs.

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1:22 – Review Starts

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