Dec 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) looks back towards Oakland Raiders free safety Charles Woodson (24) after running the ball in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 56-31. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Thursday Night Football comes to the Oakland Coliseum tonight for a highly anticipated clash between the 0-10 Oakland Raiders and the AFC West division frontrunners in the Kansas City Chiefs looking to keep pace with the Denver Broncos by avoiding an upset to their hate division foes. Kansas City are coming off a big home win over the Seattle Seahawks and are defying expectations after last year’s AFC Wild Card collapse by playing perhaps better than they did last season despite a exodus of free agents back in the spring to remain in the hunt for the division title with six games left.
Meanwhile the Oakland Raiders are rebuilding this season, giving the reigns to rookie quarterback Derek Carr who has experienced growing pains in his first ten games. Putting up strong rookie numbers in the box score, but has failed to help lead a struggling team to a victory. In primetime the Raiders will be hoping to show that they aren’t a laughingstock by playing a competitive game against their rivals in what is one of the NFL’s most underrated rivalries.
Before the game we asked Arrowhead Addict editor Ben Nielsen five questions about the Raiders-Chiefs TNF matchup. Have a read: