The Oakland Raiders will hit the road this weekend to begin the final quarter of the regular season against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Sunday's game will conclude the season series between these two longtime AFC West rivals, as the Raiders won their first matchup in Oakland back in October.
Here is the Game Preview, presented by 95.7 The GAME.
THE SETTING
Date: Sunday, December 10, 2017Kickoff: 10:00 a.m. PTSite: Arrowhead Stadium (1972)Capacity/Surface: 79,541/Natural GrassRegular Season: Chiefs lead, 60-52-2
Postseason: Chiefs lead, 2-1
This week's game starts a stretch of three road games in the final four weeks of the regular season for the Raiders, with the team also traveling to Philadelphia to play the Eagles (Week 16) and Los Angeles to play the Chargers (Week 17) after a home game next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
Last Sunday, the Raiders won their matchup with the New York Giants by a final score of 24-17. For the second straight week, the defense held the opponent under 300 yards of total offense, allowing just 265 yards to the Giants. The unit posted three sacks on the day with LB Bruce Irvin and DE Khalil Mack leading the charge as they each posted one sack-fumble that resulted in a turnover. DL Denico Autry also got in on the action, posting his third sack in two games. RB Marshawn Lynch paced the offense, tallying his first 100-yard game as a Raider, rushing for 101 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown, a 51-yarder to open the scoring in the first quarter. WR Cordarrelle Patterson led the team's receivers, totaling 97 yards on four receptions, including a 59-yard catch and run late in the game, helping Oakland seal the victory. WR Johnny Holton hauled in his third touchdown of the season and RB DeAndre Washington also rushed for a 9-yard score. P Marquette King was once again effective throughout the contest, averaging 50.0 yards per punt and pinning the Giants inside their own 20-yard line twice.
Next week, the Raiders will host their final home game of the regular season with a matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs will host the Chargers at Arrowhead next Saturday night.
CORDARRELLE PATTERSON
WR Cordarrelle Patterson ranks first among wide receivers in the NFL over the last two weeks in yards after catch, totaling 128 yards on just seven receptions and eight targets. Making the most of his opportunities, Patterson has recorded a 50-plus-yard reception in the fourth quarter in each of the last two games to help seal the victory for the Raiders.
Additionally, C.P. has averaged a staggering 18.3 yards after the catch per reception since Week 12, the most among qualifying receivers. The next closest is Sterling Shepard with an 11.3 average.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
CBS
Play-by-play: Kevin Harlan
Color Analyst: Rich Gannon
Sideline: Jenny Dell
RADIO
Flagship: 95.7 The GAME
Play-by-play: Greg Papa
Color Analyst: Tom Flores
Sideline: Lincoln Kennedy
Spanish Radio
Spanish Flagship: KIQI 1010
Play-by-play: Fernando Arias
Color Analyst: Ambrosio Rico
CHIEFS SNAPSHOT
Overview: After starting off the season with a 5-0 record, Kansas City enters Week 14 in the midst of a four-game skid. Under direction of fifth-year Head Coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are in a three-way tie with the Raiders and the Chargers for first place in the AFC West with a record of 6-6. The Raiders won the first matchup in Week 7, a 31-30 victory on Thursday Night Football in Oakland. Kansas City enters Week 14 following a 38-31 loss to the New York Jets.
Offense: Veteran QB Alex Smith continues to lead the offense in his fifth season in Kansas City while ranking in the top five in almost every passing category. Smith has completed 67.9 percent of his passes, good for third in the league, while tossing 23 touchdowns against just four interceptions for a passer rating of 107.2, the second best in the NFL. Rookie RB Kareem Hunt has been explosive in the backfield, and ranks third in the NFL with 930 rushing yards on 193 carries with four touchdowns. Additionally, Hunt has recorded 39 receptions for 367 yards with two touchdowns. TE Travis Kelce leads the team in both receptions (66) and touchdowns (seven). After a successful rooking campaign, WR Tyreek Hill has recorded 60 receptions and a team-high 911 receiving yards with six touchdowns.
Defense: The Chiefs' defense has allowed 382.2 yards per game and rank 15th in the league with 22.8 points allowed. DB Terrance Mitchell has added two interceptions this season. Veteran LB Justin Houston is still pestering opposing quarterbacks in his seventh year, posting a team-high 8.5 sacks on the year, which is tied for eighth in the AFC.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Pro Connections
• Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987-88 and earned a degree in political science from the University of Kansas while playing for the Chiefs.
• Raiders running backs coach Bernie Parmalee coached tight ends for three seasons (2010-2012) for Kansas City.
• Raiders C Rodney Hudson was originally drafted by Kansas City in the second round (55th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft and spent four years with the Chiefs from 2011-2014, playing in 51 games with 35 starts.
• Raiders CB Sean Smith spent three seasons with the Chiefs from 2013-15, appearing in 45 games with 44 starts and recording 129 tackles with five interceptions.
• Chiefs DB Ron Parker played in three games for the Raiders in 2011.
• Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie was in the scouting department of the Green Bay Packers when Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid coached the tight ends/offensive line (1992-1996) and quarterbacks (1997-1998).
• Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck worked on Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio's staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2004-2011.
College Connections
• Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid coached at San Francisco State as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach from 1983-85. Chiefs tight ends coach Tom Melvin, who played on the offensive line under Reid, went on to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant at San Francisco State from 1984-85.
• Chiefs wide receivers coach Greg Lewis held the same position at San Jose State in 2013.
• Raiders CB Dexter McDonald played collegiately at the University of Kansas and grew up in Kansas City, Mo.
• Chiefs T Mitchell Schwartz started all 51 games he played in at Cal, starting 35 games at left tackle and 16 at right tackle.
• Chiefs OL Cameron Erving was part of a line that protected Raiders QB EJ Manuel at Florida State in 2012 after practicing against him in 2011 as part of the defensive line. Erving was also teammates with Raiders DE Mario Edwards Jr. from 2012-14, facing each other in practice on opposing lines.
Hometown Connections
• Chiefs tight ends coach Tom Melvin is a native of Redwood City, Calif., and attended Cubberley High School in Palo Alto. His cousin, Bob Melvin, is the current manager of the Oakland Athletics.
• Chiefs CB Marcus Peters is a native of Oakland, Calif., and he attended McClymonds High School.
• Raiders DE Khalil Mack and Chiefs WR Albert Wilson played their high school football in the St. Lucie County District Florida. Mack attended Westwood High School in Fort Pierce, Fla. (class of '09) and Wilson attended Port St. Lucie High School (class of '10).
• Chiefs CB Terrance Mitchell is a native of Sacramento, Calif., where he attended Luther Burbank High School and earned Metro League Offensive MVP honors in 2009.
