Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: 3 bold predictions
By Kenny King
Derek Carr will have success throwing the ball in the cold
At this point in his career, the narrative for Derek Carr is that he does not enjoy, nor does he play well in the cold. Last week against the Jets proved otherwise, the throws were there, but the drops overshadowed the passes.
This week, Carr goes into Arrowhead where the temperatures Sunday will be an estimated 40 degrees, which is 4 degrees colder than MetLife Stadium last week for the Jets game. Carr and the wide receivers need to be on the same page this week, and in order to have success, they must work together to decrease drops and mistakes and capitalize on the strength of the offense.
If the Raiders are able to run the ball successfully it will open up the passing lanes for Carr, and the Raiders should be able to spread out the offense to attack the Chiefs secondary. Look for Carr to target his most reliable options in Darren Waller, Jalen Richard and Foster Moreau, who have been clutch on many of the Raiders scoring drives this season.
A win Sunday means a lot to the Raiders and to the fans as well, as it would be the first time in seven years that the Raiders have gone into Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs. This would be Derek Carr’s first win in Kansas City, and it would be the first win in Kansas City for head coach Jon Gruden since 2000.
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Most importantly, a win in Kansas City on Sunday would put the Raiders in a tie for first place in the AFC West, and would keep the Raiders playoff hopes alive. This will hopefully be a hard fought game against a good Kansas City football team, and if the Raiders play solid, fundamentally sound football this Sunday, they can come out with a win.