Las Vegas Raiders: Can the Raiders stop the 'magician' Patrick Mahomes in Week 16

Since becoming the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes has not only dominated the entire NFL landscape, but he has made a mockery of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have had very little success against Mahomes, a player who has the potential to be one of the best to ever do it at the position at the NFL level.

In their first meeting of the season, Mahomes helped the Chiefs erase an early 14-0 Raiders lead, as Kansas City outscored the Silver and Black 31-3 down the stretch in that one. It was an embarrassing loss at home in front of Raider Nation, and on Christmas Day, the Raiders have to go to Arrowhead Stadium and take on the division-leading Chiefs.

Since that loss, the Raiders defense has been playing on another level, however, and that could be just what they need to get their first win in Arrowhead since 2020.

Newly acquired cornerback Jack Jones has become a playmaker for the Raiders since coming over in free agency, and he spoke about going up against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. Jones laid it out like this, that the Chiefs have a magician in Patrick Mahomes, and if the team can stop the magician, they should be able to stop the magic per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Can the Raiders stop the Chiefs magician?

That statement is good enough to fire up fans of the Raiders, but how realistic is it considering how Mahomes has dominated this franchise since becoming the Chiefs starter. Mahomes and the Chiefs have not looked great recently, and the wide receiver group has been terrible at times, but they continue to find ways to win.

The Raiders defense has been good on all three levels in recent weeks, as their pass rush has improved, the linebacker play has been better, and the secondary, led by Jones, has shown playmaking ability. To beat the Chiefs, they will need a total effort from all three levels for all four quarters, something they could not accomplish the last time out.

Mahomes is a magician under center, and hopefully, the Raiders can pull their own rabbit out of a hat on Christmas Day.