The Starting 11: Patrick Mahomes Can Surpass Peyton Manning Sunday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – At Chiefs headquarters, it’s Rashee Rice Week and Raider Week all in one. Excitement is palpable, needless to say.

Patrick Mahomes’ first start against the Raiders was at the Oakland Coliseum in 2018. But no matter where they’ve called home, the volume goes up several notches when they’re on the Chiefs’ schedule.

“Oh, 100 percent,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “You feel that when you step in the building during Raider week. I mean, I’ve always said, it doesn't matter whether you're doing good, they're doing good, both doing good, both doing bad. This game, it means more to everybody, everybody that's playing in the game, both sides of the football.

“And so, you have to have that mentality. It's like, it's a true rivalry game. You don't have a lot of those in the NFL, and I'm blessed to be a part of it, because it really does bring out the best in both teams.”

clark hunt, pete carroll, andy rei — Aug 21, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (L) talks with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (R) and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt (C) prior to their game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Andy Reid agreed, calling the rivalry one of the NFL’s best version of a steeped-in-tradition college series.

Sunday marks Game No. 133 between the two original AFL franchises. Kansas City leads, 75-55-2, including wins in eight of the past nine meetings.

Here’s the Starting 11 for the Chiefs-Raiders battle in Week 7…

1-Peyton Manning in sight

Patrick Mahomes, who turned 30 on Sept. 17, enters Sunday with a 92-26 regular-season career record (.779) as a starting quarterback. He needs a win on Sunday to eclipse Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (92) for the most regular-season wins by a starting quarterback age 30-or-younger in NFL history.

Additionally on Sunday, Mahomes with a 100.0-or-better passer rating would become the fourth player ever with 60 such games over his first nine NFL seasons. Russell Wilson (74), Dak Prescott (63) and Matt Ryan (61) are the others.

2-Number of the Week (32)

Including postseason, the Chiefs have not allowed a running back to reach 100 yards in 32 consecutive games. This season alone, the team has neutralized Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Travis Etienne, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. The last running back to reach 100 rushing yards against Steve Spagnuolo’s unit was the Raiders’ Zamir White (145) on Christmas Day, 2023. Las Vegas beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, 20-14.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, the team has a 25-game streak without a 100-yard rusher at any position. The last to do it was quarterback Lamar Jackson in the 2024 season opener at Arrowhead Stadium. That 25-game streak is the the NFL's longest active stretch.

zamir whit — Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White (35) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

3-The Red Tour

Taylor Swift was on her Red Tour on Sept. 15, 2013, the last time Travis Kelce played an NFL game and didn’t catch a pass. Tony Romo, who’ll call this week’s game for CBS, was the Cowboys’ quarterback that day, passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns. In Andy Reid’s second game as Chiefs head coach, Kansas City won, 17-16.

Since that day, Kelce has been on his own version of a red tour. His 180-game regular-season reception streak is both the longest active stretch in the NFL and longest in franchise history. Jerry Rice holds the NFL record, 274. Rice’s streak began as a 49ers rookie in 1985 and ended as a Raiders receiver on Sept. 19, 2004.

4-Spotlight – individual matchup

Kansas City center Creed Humphrey against Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. Per The 33rd Team, Humphrey in 2025 has surrendered only two pressures on 253 pass-blocking snaps. The All-Pro’s 0.8 percent rate on pressures allowed in tops in the NFL – among all offensive linemen -- with a minimum of 100 such snaps.

Laulu, meanwhile, is tied with Maxx Crosby for the team lead with four sacks. The second-year player out of Oklahoma sacked Justin Herbert twice in Week 2.

Creed Humphrey has allowed just 2 pressures on 253 pass blocking snaps this season 🛡️

Humphrey's 0.8% pressure allowed rate is the lowest in the league among OLs with 100+ pass pro reps pic.twitter.com/4AjbXoPWfx
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) October 15, 2025

5-Spotlight – team matchup

The Chiefs have to capitalize in the turnover battle on Sunday. Tampa Bay and Kansas City are tied for the fewest giveaways in the NFL this season, two. The Buccaneers and Chiefs are tied for the second-fewest turnovers over the first six weeks of any NFL season since 2000. Only the 2017 Chiefs, who committed just one turnover over the season’s first six weeks, had fewer.

The Raiders, meanwhile, are tied with Cincinnati for the most giveaways this season, 11.

patrick mahomes, rashee ric — Nov 26, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) celebrates with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

6-Streak speak

in addition to Mahomes' 12-2 career record against the Raiders, he has 4,141 pass yards (295.8 per game), has accounted for 35 TDs (33 pass, two rush) and thrown five INTs. But perhaps most impressive is he's thrown for a TD pass in every start against the Raiders, 14 games entering Sunday.

7-Did you know?

Sunday’s game features three former New England Patriots wide receivers. In 2022, Jakobi Meyers, now with the Raiders, paired with Tyquan Thornton in the Patriots’ offense. The following year, after Meyers signed with Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent, JuJu Smith-Schuster spent a season in New England with Thornton. Those two years marked the final seasons in the New England career of head coach Bill Belichick.

tyquan thornton, bailey zapp — Dec 3, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) on the field to warm up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

8-Under-the-radar storyline

Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker and Chiefs safety Bryan Cook will meet in the defensive secondary on Sunday, but they first met as teammates from 2019-21 at the University of Cincinnati. Tucker got one-on-one practice reps against not only Cook but also Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant, all NFL draft selections. The Bearcats advanced to the College Football Playoff twice during their time together, losing to Georgia and Alabama.

9-Trend time

There must’ve been something in the halftime orange slices at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 21. Since coming out of the locker room in that 22-9 victory over the Giants, the Chiefs’ offense has:

30 possessions, excluding kneeldowns

108 points (3.6 points/drive)

1,397 yards (46.6 yards/drive)

76 first downs (2.5 first downs/drive)

one turnover

eight punts

mahome — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs with the ball during the first quarter, Sunday, September 21, 2025. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

10-Rookie Road:

Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams, who began his college career at UNLV before transferring to Cal, owns a 53.0 passer rating when targeted this season (minimum 10 attempts). That mark ranks sixth in the entire NFL, according to PFSN.

NFL cornerbacks who have allowed the lowest passer rating this season (min. 10 targets):

🔒 Derion Kendrick, Seahawks - 19.9
🔒 Jamel Dean, Bucs - 27.4
🔒 Benjamin St-Juste, Chargers - 27.5
🔒 Dee Alford, Falcons - 33.2
🔒 Isaiah Rodgers, Vikings - 44.9
🔒 Nohl Williams, Chiefs… pic.twitter.com/5IKU01GmVM
— PFSN (@PFSN365) October 15, 2025

11-And last but not least

Including postseason, Travis Kelce has 99 career touchdown receptions. With another on Sunday against the Raiders, he’ll become the fourth tight end in NFL history to reach that plateau (Antonio Gates 118, Tony Gonzalez 115, Rob Gronkowski 107). Kelce, who has 79 regular-season touchdowns, leads active NFL players at all positions with 20 postseason touchdowns.

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