5 reasons the Chiefs will beat the Raiders this Sunday

The Chiefs (4-0) will host the Raiders (2-2) this Sunday at 12:00 on CBS as these two AFC West rivals collide for the first time since the Raiders moved cities to Las Vegas.

5 Reasons the Chiefs Will Beat the Raiders This Sunday

• The Chiefs completely own this rivalry. Let’s take look at these staggering numbers. In the last 30 years the Chiefs have amassed a record of 44-19 against their bitter rivals. Since Andy Reid arrived in 2013, the Chiefs are an unbelievable 10-2 against the silver and black. The dominance exhibited by the Chiefs in this division in general over the past eight years is astounding.
• The Raiders cannot pose near the threat defensively that New England did. Las Vegas has four sacks in four games and three have come from Maxx Crosby. It is going to be difficult for the Raiders front to get consistent pressure and their secondary is paper thin aside from Johnathan Abraham. We saw the Patriots defensive scheme frustrate Patrick Mahomes this past week, but Sunday should be a much different story. Expect several Chiefs pass-catches to get involved in the game plan and for Travis Kelce to feast in the middle of the field.

• Derek Carr’s ball security is horrendous. Now don’t get me wrong, Carr is having a fine season. His QB rating is 113 and he’s doing a fine job leading this young offense. Unfortunately, Carr is simply a fumble machine. He fumbled six times a year ago and has two this season already including a disastrous turnover against the Bills last week. We’ve seen the Chiefs defense get consistent pressure this season and have wreaked havoc against the likes of Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Brian Hoyer.
• The Chiefs are very close to full strength now. While the secondary has been a surprising bright spot despite depth issues, it will now get starting corner Bashaud Breeland back after a suspension. DT Chris Jones missed the last game with a groin injury but should be back in the fold this Sunday. Quietly, the Chiefs have crept into the top 15 in the NFL in total defense and are currently second in scoring defense. A huge testament to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and what he’s done during his short time here.
• The Raiders have plummeted back to earth after a 2-0 start. Oh, and there’s a very good chance they’ll be 2-4 two weeks from now as they play Tampa Bay after their meeting with the Chiefs. We saw the Raiders play tremendous football in an upset win at New Orleans in week 2. Could they really be a contender? The past two games have told us, unequivocally, no! The Chiefs (especially with a win Sunday) are on their way to absolutely running away with the division leaving the Raiders to battle for a wildcard at best. While Carr is having a fine season and there appears to be a bevy of up-and-coming young talent, it still looks like a team that’s a year away from competing for anything of substance.

Chiefs/Raiders Rivalry by the Numbers