Last Week: Giants 23, Raiders 16
Las Vegas wound up on the right side of its first two one-score games of the year, but fortunes flipped in the third. Turnovers were the biggest issue at the Meadowlands, as Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr threw two interceptions and lost a fumble that directly led to the loss. Otherwise, the Raiders played well enough to win with a lopsided box score that saw yardage and efficiency numbers skew heavily in their favor. A 40-yard interception return for a touchdown by Giants rookie safety Xavier McKinney, who also picked off a pass late in the fourth quarter, was too much to overcome even though the Raiders’ defense held the Giants’ offense to one touchdown.
This Week: Chiefs (5-4) at Raiders (5-3)
When: Sunday, November 14, 5:20 p.m.
Where: Allegiant Stadium
TV:NBC (Channel 3)
Radio: 920-AM, 92.3-FM
Betting line: Chiefs -2.5, over/under: 51.5.
Matchup: The Raiders split their first two AFC West games of the season, losing at the Chargers and winning at the Broncos, but this might be the one they want most—against a hated Chiefs team. Kansas City has dominated the division the past three years but has looked surprisingly mediocre through the first half of the season. The Chiefs’ defense is arguably the worst in the NFL, and the offense has failed to reach the heights that delivered Kansas City to back-to-back AFC championships the past two years. The Chiefs have only scored more than 20 points once in their past four games—an unimaginable downturn dating back to even the beginning of this season, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes was favored to win his second MVP award.
Raider to Watch: Wide receiver DeSean Jackson
In search of speed and big-play ability after lacking both on the outside against the Giants, the Raiders signed the veteran receiver immediately after the loss. Jackson asked for his release from the Los Angeles Rams a week earlier after a logjam at receiver saw him only getting a handful of snaps per game. Playing time won’t be a problem for the Raiders, who will look to insert the 14-year veteran into their lineup immediately. Jackson, a three-time Pro Bowler, sits 38th all-time in the NFL record books with 10,877 receiving yards. He’s known as one of the best downfield threats of the past 20 years, so the Chiefs can count on being challenged vertically in his first game with the Raiders.
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