Preview and Prediction: Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
By Austin Gayle
Raiders’ Secondary Will Feature on ‘Catching Kelce’
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has turned his NFL career into an acting career, as the former University of Cincinnati product now stars on Catching Kelce, where contestants compete for Kelce’s love.
Though the Raiders’ defense isn’t looking to fall in love with Kelce anytime soon, they will struggle catching Kelce on Sunday.
Kelce has brought in a team-high 22 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns, 120 of his yards coming after the catch.
According to PFF.com, Kelce has graded out as the eighth best tight end in the league through five weeks (78.2).
At 6’5”, 260 pounds, Kelce possesses rare athleticism for his size, and, in turn, his polished route-running ability and sheer size forces opposing defenses to acknowledge his presence, especially on third downs and in the red zone.
Against Oakland, Kelce’s performance on critical downs will take the Chiefs’ offense to new heights or leave them falling flat.
The Raiders will hope for the latter, but without an elite coverage player at either safety or linebacker, Kelce will take advantage of the poor matchup early and often.
Prediction: Raiders win 20-17.