Raiders at Chiefs 2022 Week 5: Things to watch for
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, and here are some things to watch for in this AFC West matchup.
In Week 4, the Las Vegas Raiders finally notched win No. 1 on the 2022 NFL season, beating the Denver Broncos inside Allegiant Stadium. That was a must-win game for the franchise, and before their bye week, they have one more AFC West battle, though on the road.
That battle will be against the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime on Monday night, a game the Raiders must win to keep their season going forward. The Silver and Black have struggled mightily against Kansas City in recent years, as has the rest of the division, but this is a game they should be more than competitive in.
Here, we look at some things to keep an eye on in this crucial AFC West battle.
Raiders at Chiefs 2022 Week 5: Things to watch for
Carr continue to run?
During the win against the Broncos, we saw something from Derek Carr that we do not see enough of. In that game, Carr actually used his speed and athleticism to run the football, something the Raiders will need him to do against this Kansas City defense on Monday night.
The truth is, Carr is a tremendous athlete, but since injuring himself during the 2016 season, he has seemed a bit gun-shy to take off and run. That was not the case against Denver, and cannot be the case the rest of the way.
Will Josh McDaniels lean on the run game again?
It was clear from the get-go that head coach Josh McDaniels wanted to utilize the run game against Denver, and Josh Jacobs churned out the best game of his career. Playing for a new contract, we are seeing flashes of the old JJ28, a punishing runner who can run through, or around the defense at any time.
Keeping the Chiefs offense off the field will be key this Monday, and establishing the run game early and often will help the Silver and Black accomplish that. I would expect another heavy dose for Jacobs against the Chiefs as the Raiders look to control the clock against one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Can the Raiders beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead?
The biggest question this week will be whether or not the Raiders can go into Arrowhead and pull off the victory in primetime. This is a team that has owned the AFC West in recent history, and the Raiders are a franchise looking to make a real statement before the bye week.
It has happened before, as Jon Gruden famously did a victory lap around the stadium after beating Kansas City on the road a few years back. If the Raiders want to go into the bye week with any momentum, a primetime victory against the best of the best would be the way to do it.