5 Oakland Raiders to watch vs. Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders will host the rival Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football this week. Here are five Raiders you’ll need to watch in this game.
With the season on the line, the Oakland Raiders need a win in the worst way in Week 7. However, that is coming on a short week. Oakland will host the division leading Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum will be at 5:25 p.m. PT, 8:25 p.m. ET on Oct. 19.
Both teams are coming off a loss in Week 6 in a game where they were favored. The biggest difference is that the Chiefs have only suffered one loss on the season, while the Raiders have been defeated four times in a row.
But you have to throw some of that out this week. This is a short week and this is a major rivalry game. If the 0-5 New York Giants can win on Sunday Night Football versus the 3-1 Denver Broncos at Mile High coming off a bye, anything can happen.
In essence, there are no elite teams in the NFL this season. Kansas City might be the closest to that threshold, but maybe the Chiefs were exposed to some degree in their Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers? Here are the five Raiders you’ll need to watch this week on the gridiron versus Kansas City.
28. . Cornerback. Ohio Bobcats. T.J. Carrie. 5. player
Though the Raiders defense doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt, there have been a few players this season that have played well despite being on the losing end of games more times than not. One player of note has been cornerback T.J. Carrie.
He has been by far and away the most reliable cornerback on the Raiders’ roster this season. Carrie and strong safety Karl Joseph have grown considerably under assistant head coach John Pagano’s watch in the secondary. The problem is that it has been mostly just those two players.
Carrie is at his best when he’s playing tight man coverage in the slot. Kansas City doesn’t have the prototypical vertical home run threat like many NFL offenses have. Most of their passes from quarterback Alex Smith are of the short-to-medium variety. That means plenty of opportunities for Carrie to make plays in pass defense.
For that reason, he might be the first Raider to come down with an interception this season. It has been a rough year for Reggie Nelson at free safety, who has lost his ballhawking ability in the middle of the defense. Carrie will have some tackles, probably a few to force fourth down. Look for him to get that pick Oakland hasn’t had all season on Thursday night.