Oakland Raiders: 5 keys to victory vs. Kansas City Chiefs
By John Buhler
The strange part to the Raiders’ recent swoon is that they aren’t playing all that badly in the trenches on either side of the ball. Yes, there are players that aren’t cutting it, but a lot them have dealt with injury. The two that come to mind are Gabe Jackson and Marshall Newhouse on the right side of the offensive line.
Oakland can do its part to attack the offensive interior of the Chiefs, which will be exposed. However, it will be more about the Raiders winning at the point of attack with their offensive line. Look for big games out of left guard Kelechi Osemele and center Rodney Hudson.
These are two of the best player at their respective positions in the game. They have huge matchups in this game with the Chiefs in a pair of imposing defensive tackles in Chris Jones and Bennie Logan. These guys are young and mean for Bob Sutton and his defense.
Getting great games out of Hudson, Osemele and maybe even a healthier Jackson could help the Raiders’ offense dictate pace in the ground game. Having a reliable running game could open up more throwing lanes for quarterback Derek Carr, maybe even the long-forgotten play-action.