Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders: 3 matchups to watch

OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 19: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders hands off the ball to Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 19: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders hands off the ball to Jalen Richard #30 of the Oakland Raiders during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 19: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a Giorgio Tavecchio #2 extra point is good to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-30 in their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 19: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after a Giorgio Tavecchio #2 extra point is good to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-30 in their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Derek Carr vs. Patrick Mahomes

Just a few years ago it looked as if Derek Carr was the young new quarterback that would control the AFC West for years to come. Well, things have drastically changed thanks to the arrival of gunslinger Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes has dominated in his first full season as a starter and has the Chiefs offense looking unstoppable. He leads the league in touchdowns with 37 and is at the top of the MVP discussion.

For Carr, things have not been that easy since his breakout season back in 2016. He has gone from rising star to people questioning whether he is actually the right quarterback to build around for the Raiders.

This game in particular probably won’t tell us too much given the large talent gap between the two teams. However, Raiders fans have to wonder if Carr will ever reach the level of play to compete with Mahomes. Because that will go a long way in determining if the Raiders will ever regain the division, or if they’ll be playing second fiddle to the Chiefs for years to come.

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