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Best In The West War: Chiefs @ Raiders Preview

Old school. A kind of gritty, nasty style. Primitive and basic while maintaining a level of purity or nostalgia.

Chiefs vs. Raiders is always an old school match up, because the teams have so much history. What is different about this game is how much these teams remind you of the old school Raiders and Chiefs.

The two teams are one and two in the rankings for rush yards per game. They are also the top two teams in the AFC West. The old school Raiders and Chiefs are playing old school football.

It will be a war and there will be casualties.

The Raiders know this is a validation game. The Raiders know this is a statement game. Win today and the NFL talks about the Raiders and the playoffs in the same sentence. It would be conceivable for a team, fresh off two games in which they outscored their opponents 92-17, to overlook an opponent. Not...this...week. Division game, at home, against a rival team that leads the division, and looking for validation? No player is letting is looking past this one.

When the players take the field Sunday, they will put everything on the line. You can't buy respect, it is earned. The Raiders seek respect for the first time in seven long seasons.


Raiders 2nd ranked run offense (168.5 ypg) vs Chiefs 7th ranked run defense (96.4 ypg)
Adjusted Rush Yardage: 132 yards

The Seahawks came into Oakland the second rated run defense in the league before the Raiders rolled them up on the ground. This gives legitimacy to the Raiders ground game.

Darren McFadden has eclipsed 100 total yards in every game he has played this season. He's only failed to rush for under 100 yards in two games, 95 yards against the Titans in week one and 47 yards against the Texans in a game in which he added 82 yards receiving.

The Chiefs run stopping ability may be overstated, having played the Chargers, Colts, Browns and Bills terrible running attacks. They held elite backs in check, Maurice Jones-Drew, Frank Gore, and Arian Foster.

While the Chiefs managed to hold Foster's yardage total in check, Derek Ward added 58 yards and a touchdown to Foster's 71 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chiefs run defense is due for a correction. The Raiders run offense is ready to make it.



Raiders 20th ranked pass offense (197.5 ypg) vs Chiefs 23rd ranked pass defense (236.3 ypg).
Adjusted Pass Yardage: 217 yards


Despite good play from Brandon Flowers, the Chiefs are susceptible to the pass. With the Raiders likely without Zach Miller and Louis Murphy, the Raiders need to see continued production from Darrius Heyward-Bey and rookie Jacoby Ford.


Chiefs top-rated run offense (190.4 ypg) vs Raiders 26th ranked run defense (127.4 ypg)
Adjusted Yards:

Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson, Arian Foster, Frank Gore. If not for the elite rushers the Ra ifiders would not be so poorly ranked. Thankfully for the Chiefs, they have budding star Jamal Charles and the always solid Thomas Jones.

The Raiders have their work cut out for them against the Chiefs running game. If the Raiders can stop the prolific Chiefs ground game it will be very hard on Matt Cassell. Cassel wlll be forced to put the game on his schoulders.

The Chiefs pass offense has been quiet this season ranking 32 of 32 teams with 164.4 yards per game (32) vs the Raiders
Adjusted yardage: 174 yards passing.

The Raiders have achieved these rankings with Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha will most likely be out Sunday. leaving a huge hole the he passing D the Chiefs may choose to ignore.



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