Is AFC West Opponent the Raiders' Biggest Rival?

If Al Davis were still alive and was asked who the Raiders' biggest current rival is, he'd probably say the NFL, as the franchise was built on a policy of hating everyone who stands in their way of the Lombardi.

However, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame believes the Raiders' biggest rival currently is the Kansas City Chiefs.

"While the Raiders have myriad rivalries across the league and their franchise history, none match up to their hatred of the Chiefs," wrote Verderame.

"The two have been bitter rivals since their days in the AFL, where the Chiefs and a Raiders franchise then based in Oakland won four of the league’s 10 titles, including three of the final four. The Raiders and Chiefs have only met twice in the playoffs, both Kansas City wins, but their battles and rancor for each other are legendary."

In recent years, the two sides have been through battles, including the Raiders' legendary 2017 walk-off win in Oakland.

Andy Reid and Jon Gruden always brought the heat when they faced off, having been tied to each other since working together on Mike Holmgren's staff with the Packers in the 90s.

The Raiders also own the most wins at Arrowhead against a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team in the AFC West.

However, both the Broncos and Chargers have engaged in hotly contested battles over the years.

In my opinion, the Raiders' biggest rival is the Los Angeles Chargers. The two teams share a long history, the Raiders have a massive following in Los Angeles, and they've gotten together for incredible, wire-to-wire matchups over the past several years, including Rich Bisaccia's overtime win to send the Raiders to the playoffs in the 2021 season finale.

However, the Denver Broncos and Raiders always seem to be fighting each other. Whether it was Michael Crabtree against Aqib Talib or Davante Adams burning Patrick Surtain for an overtime win in 2022, these teams always like to hit each other hard.

But honestly, none of that matters because when looking back at Pete Carroll's history in Seattle, he had the Seahawks ready to whack every NFC West opponent on a moments notice.

He instilled a hatred for their division rivals so deep, it was open season anytime the football took to the air, so in 2025, expect the Raiders to bring the same intensity.

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