The Chiefs and Raiders Rivalry is Alive and Well
Just as we thought the Kansas City Chiefs were going to steamroll their way through the AFC West for another year and take an unblemished divisional record into the playoffs, the Las Vegas Raiders had other ideas.
As Chiefs Kingdom was getting comfortable in their seat on top, the Raiders came to Kansas City and pulled the chair out from under them.
Arrowhead Report's Mark Van Sickle joins me on today's episode of Roughing the Kicker to discuss the history of the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry and the current state that it's in heading into Week 11 of the season.
The Chiefs and Raiders rivalry is one of the most storied competitions in all of football, but it's been anything but competitive for the past few seasons. Kansas City's rise to the top and the Raiders' fall to mediocrity has lead to many one-sided streaks and not many back and forth outcomes.
But now there is finally something to be excited about in the division. Vegas surprisingly beat the Chiefs in Week 5 and they rubbed it in. It was bad enough the Chiefs lost to an inferior team but a victory lap around the stadium gave Big Red and Co. all they need and more heading into this week's matchup with the Raiders.
The extra animosity and the looming fact Kansas City could lose two straight to the Raiders gives this game — and rivalry — a feeling it hasn't had in a while. Competition. And I missed it.
Yeah, Andy Reid's dominance amongst rivals has been nice, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about the division winner coming down to the last week of the season or having the divisional competition be the best competition that makes me feel alive.
It's not wishing the Chiefs were the Chiefs of old, but it's wishing the Chargers and Raiders and Broncos were themselves of old. Las Vegas has finally brought that competition to the table. While they will probably get the doors blown off on Sunday considering the circumstances, it's exciting to have external storylines heading into the matchup.
This isn't the first time these two teams will take some extra animosity into a game against the other but it has been like this in a while. With the Raiders beginning to play well and appearing to figure things out, it certainly won't be the last time either.
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