OAKLAND RAIDERS (7-7) at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-8)
Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS, Direct TV (708), Sirius (OAK 94, KC 137)
Why Watch
The best you can hope for in any late-December matchup is to see a game that matters, where both teams bring their all. And although neither team plays what could be called “good” football by any stretch of the imagination, this game matters. The Raiders are clutching to the last shreds of playoff hopes, as their once-mighty division lead has evaporated.
This will be the 103rd regular season matchup of two AFL rivals, two teams that from the days of a brash young coach named Al Davis and glad-handing owner Lamar Hunt, have always been polar opposites. Kansas City has dominated this rivalry on the field, but the Raiders far eclipse the Chiefs in notoriety (and in championships). So whenever the Chiefs have a chance to play the spoiler against their division rivals, they relish it.
What To Watch
The last meeting between these two teams was notable for being Carson Palmer’s NFL debut in Raider black. It was also Palmer’s first three-interception game in Raider black. (He’s since repeated the feat twice, against Denver and Green Bay.) And, most ominously, it was the last game Darren McFadden appeared in this season, suffering a lis franc foot injury that has knocked him out for the duration.
While Michael Bush looked beastly in DMac’s stead for a few weeks, he has been considerably less effective as the season has worn on. In his first three weeks in relief, he averaged 5.8, 5.1 and 5.2 yards per carry. In the five weeks since, that average has dropped to a painful 3.34 yards per. Couple this with an injury-ravaged receiver corps (when Chaz Schillens is one of your two healthiest receivers, that’s a bad sign) and a scattershot Palmer, and this Raiders offense has been cut off at the knees.
Of course, you can’t come crying to Kansas City about injuries. Their new starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, splintered his thumb on his first pass attempt as a Chief, and that was only the latest notable loss. Orton bounced back with a strong game against Green Bay last week, leading his team to a shocking upset victory.
Orton was nearly perfect between the numbers, connecting on 14 of 15 passes up the middle. This included a large number of screen passes designed to take advantage of an aggressive Green Bay defense. Facing an undisciplined and coverage-challenged middle linebacker in Rolando McClain, expect Orton to attempt to dial up more of the same.
Who Will Win
All signs are pointing to a Chiefs win at home… but this rivalry has shown in the past that the outcomes of these games are rarely decided early. Expect a barnburner.
