The worst team scoring points hosting the sixth stingiest defense in the league to close out the 2025 season.
That’s the tale of the tape for the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs Week 18 matchup this Sunday inside Allegiant Stadium.
At an average of 14.2 points per game and 227 total, Las Vegas is the caboose amongst NFL offenses. The team is behind the Cleveland Browns (259) and Tennessee Titans (277) in total points scored. Here’s something even more staggering in comparison: The Los Angeles Rams are the league’s top scoring offense with 481 total points. That’s 254-point difference when compared to the Silver & Black.
Which makes the Raiders’ final homestand an uphill climb as the Chiefs march into Sin City with the sixth stingiest defense in the league. Allowing just 314 points on the year (19.6 points per game average), Kansas City is just behind the Denver Broncos, who’ve allowed 308 points. The NFL’s top defensive unit — the Houston Texans — yields just 265 points, in comparison.
Considering Las Vegas’ top pass-catching option — tight end Brock Bowers — is on injured reserve and the team could only muster 10 points against the New York Giants last Sunday, the “uphill climb” against Kansas City is apt.
The visiting G-Men, who boast the 30th-ranked run defense, stymied the Raiders run game for much of the Week 17 matchup. And just 122 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty will be greeted by the NFL’s 10th-best run defense in the Chiefs. While it maybe “any given Sunday”, the lackluster performance against a lower echelon run defense a week ago doesn’t portend to good things this week against a Top 10 unit.
Although, heading into the season finale, Kansas City’s defense did yield 164 and 128 total rushing yards in back-to-back weeks against the Tennessee Titans and Broncos, respectively.
And that’s the start of how Las Vegas avoids one last lopsided loss to close out the 2025 campaign: Run the ball early and often with Jeanty.
A big part of this consideration is the absence of usual starting quarterback Geno Smith, who hasn’t practiced all week due to an ankle ailment. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has noted numerous times it’s difficult to see Smith suit up and a combination of Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell is on tap.
Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defense made life tough for quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos last Sunday as Nix finished 26 of 38 for 182 yards with one touchdown, one interception, while also getting sacked once. And in the first matchup between the Raiders and Chiefs back on Oct. 19 in Arrowhead — a 31-0 win by Kansas City — Las Vegas was limited to 95 total yards (70 passing, 25 rushing).
Dedication to the run game, mixing in play action, and seeing if speedster wide receivers Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton while possession wideout Jack Bech and tight end Michael Mayer can find soft spots in Denver’s defense is going to be key for Raiders interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson. Of course, all that relies heavily on the offensive line’s performance. Which, gulp, hasn’t been stout.
Defensively, Patrick Graham’s Raiders defense must play disciplined even against Chiefs backup quarterback Chris Oladokun. While the 28-year-old’s production against Denver was light (13 of 22 for 66 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions, one sack), that was against a superior defense and that’s not what Las Vegas brings to the table.
But Graham did talk about a resemblance that many picked up on when it comes to Oladokun.
“One thing, I was watching how he’s walking to the huddle one time and it looked funny. It looked like because he looked like Pat walking to the huddle,” the Raiders defensive coordinator said on Thursday. “I mean, not that they’re coaching that, but they’ve got a system and a scheme that’s been there for a long time, and I’m sure there’s some tweaks that are going to be put in place for him, just in terms of they’re not going to give him everything that Pat’s doing.
“But, I mean, the whole offense is predicated off of running the ball, whether it’s quarterback under or when they get in gun, the spread program and then getting the ball out fast in terms of their quick game. So, I don’t think any of that’s going to change, because that’s been Coach (Andy) Reid for a long time. And Coach (Matt) Nagy and how those guys put it together.”
Quote of Note
“Each week is different. I’ve been doing it for a long time, so each week I’ve rarely ever seen anything new under the sun. So like, again, my job is to get those guys prepared to play the opponent that week, and put those guys in the best position to help minimize the points and make sure we’re ready to go on Sunday. So my job never changes. Never changes.”
—Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on not having defensive end Maxx Crosby and how he adjusts
“I was real excited for him. Again, he’s a solid, solid player. Has been a real steady player since the Raiders have drafted him, and unfortunately, the year after he was drafted, we probably drafted one of the best tight ends that will ever play the game. So, he’s been a great teammate, and I know he’s been a great support system for Brock (Bowers), and the two of them are, together, two of the better tight ends when you look at tandems in the league. I think they got to be two of the best tandems in the league at tight end.”
—Las Vegas Raiders interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson on tight end Michael Mayer stepping up with Brock Bowers on injured reserve
Sunday’s tilt marks the 134th time the Raiders and Chiefs matchup. Kansas City leads the all-time series 76-55-2 (54-7-2 in regular season action; 1-2 in postseason play). The Chiefs are riding a three-game win streak heading into the season finale between both teams, having won the first matchup in 2025 31-0 back on October 19. The Raiders last win occurred on Christmas Day in 2023 — a 20-14 pummeling that awakened the Chiefs and powered their Super Bowl run. Befoer that, Kansas City six-straight games from November 2020 to November 2023.
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