The Las Vegas Raiders play at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. PT.
Here are five keys to an upset victory for the Raiders:
Get to Mahomes:
Don’t look now, but Patrick Mahomes is playing like the superstar he is. He’s got a lot of confidence and he’s making plays with his arm and his feet. He’s really rolling. The Raiders need to slow him down and keep him in check as best as possible. The Raiders had a great day of pass-rushing in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. They had six sacks. Las Vegas needs to duplicate that effort against Mahomes.
Get turnovers:
A big reason why the Raiders’ broke their four-game losing streak with their 20-10 win over the Titans was their defense created turnovers and had three of them. Las Vegas will need to do the same to win this game. They must force Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense into making mistakes that they can capitalize on.
Start fast:
The Raiders need to start fast on both sides of the ball and get in the heads of both the Chiefs’ and the Arrowhead Stadium crowd. Las Vegas won there in 2023 and barley lost in Kansas City last season. The Raiders need to make an early statement.
Don’t let Rice cook:
Chiefs’ speedy wide receiver Rashee Rice is off the NFL suspension list this week and is expected to play some. He extends the Chiefs’ group of receivers and watch for Mahomes to try to get Rice involved early. The Raiders have to be ready.
Ride Jeanty:
A great way of keeping Mahomes and the Chiefs’ powerful offense off the field, is to eat the clock with the running game. So, the Raiders must get rookie running back Ashton Jeanty rolling. He’s been making more plays lately and that needs to continue in this game to give Las Vegas a better chance to pull of the upset as a double-digit underdog. It won’t be easy, though. The Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 25 games. It’s the longest current streak in the league. The last time Kansas City allowed a 100-yard rusher was Zamir White in the Raiders’ epic Christmas Day win at Arrowhead in 2023.
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