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Raiders Must, "Just Win Baby," vs. Chiefs

With no room left for error, the Las Vegas Raiders head to Kansas City Chiefs desperate to, "Just win baby."
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The Las Vegas Raiders are facing perhaps the most critical game in the last five on their 2021 schedule. On Sunday, it might be the most difficult against the arch-rival Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Raiders (6-6) are hanging on the edge of playoff contention after losing four of their last five games, including a 17-15 heartbreaker to the Washington Football Team on Sunday and a 41-14 rout by the Chiefs on Nov. 14 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The Chiefs and Raiders have a history that goes back to the inaugural season of the American Football League in 1960. Kansas City—which started as the Dallas Texans—is one of the few teams with a winning record against the Silver and Black, and it's pretty emphatic at 69-54-2, including eight of the last nine and 13 of the previous 15.

The Raiders beat the Chiefs five straight times in 1968-69, including in an AFL divisional playoff game, seven games in a row from 1975-78, five more in succession from 1982-84, and five straight again from 1999-2001, but other than that Kansas City has mostly got the best of the Silver and Black.

Included was the game last month, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes shredded the Raiders defense by completing 35-of-50 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns—two to wide receiver Tyreek Hill—and did not throw an interception.

Derek Carr of the Raiders tried to keep up by completing 25-of-35 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Carr's second touchdown pass was for 37 yards to wide receiver Bryan Edwards to get Las Vegas to within 17-14 early in the third quarter, before the Chiefs scored the last 24 points of the game as Mahomes threw for three more touchdowns.

The current Raiders have one positive memory to take into this game. They upset the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, 40-32, last season at Arrowhead Stadium by scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter to break a 24-24 tie.

Carr outdueled Mahomes in that game by completing 22-of-31 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, including a 72-yarder to wide receiver Henry Ruggs III while running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 77 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Of course, Mahomes wasn't bad himself, completing 22-of-43 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, but for once, the Raiders were able to get the best of him and the Chiefs.

This time the Chiefs (8-4) have won five consecutive games after a slow start and are favored by almost 10 points against the Raiders, who got off to a fast start at 3-0 and still were looking good for their first playoff appearance since 2016 at 5-2.

This season, the Chiefs are 5-2 at home, while the Raiders are 4-2 on the road, so something has to give.

Surprisingly, after losing to the Chiefs last month, Carr, despite a 3-12 career record against Kansas City, told reporters: "I think we're just a better team; we have better players. … Now that doesn't result in wins. I just really believe in our group. The things that we messed up today are so correctable.

"I think that's what gives me, 'Oh yeah, we can do it.' It's not like we got out-manned, you know what I'm saying? I'm trying to describe it that way. I really believe that this group is just different. I'm around them every day and it just a different group."

However, Carr also has said: "If we're being honest, to make it a rivalry (with the Chiefs), we have to win some games."

Sunday would be the perfect time to start.

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