Fans will be in for a treat on when the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders face off at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Eve this Saturday. Although both teams are longshots for the playoffs, they are both still alive. Kansas City is coming off its biggest win of the year, while Oakland suffered a heartbreaking loss last week. If either team wants to play post season football this year, they have to win this week or their season is over.
Last weekend Kansas City shocked the NFL world when they beat the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers 19-14. In Romeo Crennel’s first game as interim head coach of the Chiefs, the team did something no one had done in almost a year, they shut down Aaron Rodgers. Although it was a huge upset, it may not have been a shock to some Chiefs fans who know how good the Chiefs are against the pass. Currently they are 9th in the NFL against the pass, allowing only 209 yards to opposing quarterbacks per game. This is especially impressive considering they lost their best defensive player in Eric Berry in Week 1, when they were crushed by the Buffalo Bills.
Not only do the Chiefs do a good job breaking up passing plays, but they are effective at getting to the quarterback. Defensive End Tamba Hali has 12 sacks and 4 forced fumbles this year putting him towards the top in both defensive categories. Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson is the center of the defense, both metaphorically and literally, with 93 solo tackles and 26 assists. The Chiefs defense doesn’t get as much credit as they should, but after shutting down the undefeated Packers, they have opened a lot of eyes.
On the other end of the spectrum, Kansas City’s offense is having an off year. Injuries have had a lot to do with the Chiefs woes this season – they lost two of their best offensive players in quarterback Matt Cassel and running back Jamaal Charles. Charles went down in Week 2, leaving Chiefs fans worried about their offense and fantasy owners everywhere screaming in anger (myself included). When they lost Charles, their game-changing back, it put a lot of pressure on their passing game.
Then on November 15, Chiefs fans learned that Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel would probably not play another down due to a significant injury to his throwing hand. The injury led to the Chiefs claiming quarterback Kyle Orton off waivers, which has proved to be a good pickup, considering his one start ended with a win over the Packers.
Orton has never been a flashy quarterback, but like his replacement in Denver Tim Tebow (did you really think he wouldn’t get mentioned?) he just finds a way to win games. Although unlike Tebow, Orton has always seemed to throw for a lot of yards and has been a good quarterback stretching the field. Orton, combined with Pro Bowl wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, could be a deadly combo for the rest of the season. Although the numbers are not great, this is a different Kansas City offense, and they could explode at any time.
Just like the Chiefs, the Raiders have suffered some serious injuries this season that have completely changed their offense. Running back Darren McFadden was hurt about 2 months ago with a foot injury and he has yet to come back. In his absence, Michael Bush has proven to be capable as a number one back and has put up some very impressive numbers. Even with the injury of premier back McFadden, Bush has kept the ground game going and the Raiders average the sixth most rushing yards in the league.
Raiders starting quarter back Jason Campbell was also injured a little over a month into the NFL season and he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. To try and salvage their season, the Raiders made a bold move and traded a first and second round pick for Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer has led the Raiders offense to some impressive numbers since he’s taken over as the starter, and the Raiders currently are in the top half of the league in every major offensive category.
Although the Raiders offense is pretty solid, the same can’t be said for their defense. They allow 27.3 points a game, which is 29th in the NFL, and allow 378.8 yards a game which is 28th in the league. Tyvon Branch leads the team with 70 solo tackles and has had a solid year at strong safety on a team that has a difficulty keeping their opponents offense off the field. One category that the Raiders defense does not struggle with is getting to the quarterback. The Raiders have 39 sacks this year which is 5th in league and unlike a lot of teams their sacks are spread out over a lot of players. The Raiders have 5 players with over 5 sacks, providing a nice balance on the defensive side of the ball.
When the Raiders (7-7) and Chiefs (6-8) meet Saturday, it is essentially a playoff game for both teams. A loss by either team would end their post season hopes. Last week, the Raiders lost a heartbreaker to the Lions by 1 point in the final minutes of the game, while the Chiefs won a huge game against the Packers.
It will be very interesting to see how the Chiefs react after their win last weekend, and a lot of questions will need to be answered – Was it a fluke? Are they better than we thought with all their injuries? Who will be their quarterback next season? Who will be their head coach?
The Raiders do have a game on the Chiefs; however, they do not control their own fate, but a need a win and some help to sneak into the playoffs. The Raiders have the talent on the offensive side of the ball to score with anyone in the league, but sometimes their defense can collapse. If the Raiders can continue to pressure the quarterback like they have been and tighten up in the secondary, they should pull off a win.
The matchup between the Raiders and Chiefs should be a good one and will be a nice way to kick off the Christmas holiday. Hopefully they won’t disappoint, and hopefully Santa doesn’t disappoint anyone, either. Happy Holiday’s!
