Raiders hope to pull off season-defining upset over Chiefs

Coming off their first win in about a month, the Las Vegas Raiders now hope that that momentum carries over into the biggest game of the season.

On Sunday, the Raiders head off to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at GEHA Stadium at Arrowhead.

The Chiefs have dominated the series between the two AFC West rivals as of late, winning 20 of 24 games since Mahomes stepped in as quarterback. However, the games have been close between the two teams, and the Raiders come in with renewed hope that their season can be saved. If they manage to pull off the upset, the Raiders get to head into their bye next week on a much different note than a couple weeks ago.

In order for that to happen, however, here are three things that will have to go in their direction.

Head on a swivel

In a stroke of bad luck for the Raiders, the Chiefs come into this matchup with their arsenal of offensive weapons more complete than at any point this season.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice is set to play his first game since Week Four of last season, with the lost time split between rehabbing from a torn ACL and a six-game suspension for a car crash in Dallas. The Chiefs now add him to a stacked group of pass-catchers that include wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown, as well as tight end Travis Kelce. However, the Raiders cannot strictly focus on the passing game, as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have proven to be dangerous running backs in their own right.

The Raiders will have their hands full no matter what on Sunday, so they will need to prepare for any and every look the Chiefs give them.

Trust the rook

After a few rough weeks to start his career, Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty has turned on the jets as of late.

The sixth overall pick back in April, Jeanty has reached ninth with 424 rushing yards through the first six weeks of the season. As his confidence has grown, Jeanty has more often demonstrated the blend of elusiveness and contact balance that made him a Heisman finalist at Boise Stats. He clearly has the trust of the coaching staff as well, as Jeanty was fed a career-high 23 carries in last week’s victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Even going against the traditionally stout run defense of the Chiefs, Jeanty is going to play a critical role in whether the Raiders leave Kansas City with a statement win.

Make Mahomes sweat

While Mahomes will have a plethora of weapons at his disposal, it will not matter too much if he does not get time to throw the football.

Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons is set to miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, and the Raiders must be prepared to take full advantage. Maxx Crosby is a game-wrecking pass rusher, Jonah Laulu is having a breakout campaign with four sacks in six games and the likes of Tyree Wilson and Malcolm Koonce can always pop up on the radar at a moment’s notice. The defense came away with five sacks against the Titans, and that momentum is now what they hope carries over against the Chiefs.

Stopping Mahomes is a pipe dream, but disrupting his timing and taking the offense out of a consistent rhythm would give the Raiders a shot to pull off the upset.