AFC West Roundup Week 13: Raiders collapse as Chiefs control the division

Oakland Raiders

The narrative was set as the Oakland Raiders, coming off an uninspired performance the week prior in New York, traveled to Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs. Derek Carr and these Raiders have yet to win in Arrowhead during his tenure, he’s infamously struggled in the cold environments, and Andy Reid has been near unbeatable coming off of a bye.

The Raiders, should they lose, simply could not fold against their long-time division rival. And yet, that is exactly what happened, as Kansas City took hold of the AFC West division by the score of 40-9. Derek Carr threw two costly interceptions early on, the latter returned for a touchdown that bumped the Chiefs’ lead to 21-0, permanently turning the momentum in their favor.

Josh Jacobs was the lone bright spot, rushing for over 100 yards but to no avail as lackluster playcalling by Jon Gruden, in combination with Carr’s struggles and lack of team discipline all around, dropped Oakland to 6-6. Many want to blame Carr instantly, but make no mistake that it should be spread all around following Sunday’s unremarkable performance.