Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: Bold Predictions in Week 14
Bold Prediction #3: The Raiders defense adjusts
The Raiders’ defense was simply awful against the Chiefs in their first clash. In what was, by far, the team’s worst defensive performance of the year, the Raiders allowed 516 total yards and 41 points to the Kansas City offense.
The Las Vegas defense simply could not get off the field, as the Chiefs held the ball for over 35 minutes of game time and converted 29 first downs. Patrick Mahomes had his best game of the season, and it’s not close. The Super Bowl 54 MVP threw for 406 yards and 5 TDs against the Raiders’ secondary.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this was Gus Bradley’s unwillingness to adjust his defensive scheme. Despite the success that so many teams have had against the Chiefs running a two-high safety scheme and limiting big plays, the Raiders stuck to Bradley’s famous cover-three defense.
Clearly, it did not work.
Mahomes is simply too comfortable with the scheme. He saw it twice a year in his first two seasons against the Chargers, and now is seeing it against the Raiders. There is too little variation, and the Chiefs quarterback will shred them just the same if they attempt it again.
I do not expect that they will. Bradley is too smart not to realize that the outcome will be similar, and the Raiders are simply in desperation mode. It is time to throw everything at the wall. And with key players returning in the secondary, Bradley has more flexibility to adjust.
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The Raiders will hold the Chiefs to under 27 points on Sunday. While it is not a dominant defensive performance, they will certainly give Derek Carr and the offense a chance to win the game.