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Bucky Brooks' Scouting Report: Week 12 vs. Chiefs

Who the Guy?

The Chiefs' success begins and ends with Patrick Mahomes. The two-time MVP is a prolific playmaker with a knack for coming through in the clutch. Although the Chiefs' pass catchers have struggled with drops, the gunslinger remains a dangerous playmaker due to his pinpoint accuracy and improvisational skills. If the perennial Pro Bowler catches fire at any point, the Raiders could have difficulty slowing down the Chiefs offense.

Know His Name

Chris Jones is a one-man wrecking crew with his superior size, strength and explosiveness, overwhelming blockers at the point of attack. The All-Pro defensive tackle can align anywhere along the frontline to exploit a favorable matchup and create a "splash" play opportunity (sack or tackle for loss). Considering how the Chiefs thrive on takeaways, Jones' whereabouts must always be accounted for.

Don't Sleep On…

Drue Tranquill has flourished in the Chiefs' scheme as a "see ball, get ball" defender with a green light to pursue the ball from all angles. The veteran has stuffed the stat sheet as the team's leading tackler (62 total stops) while also adding 3.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Tranquill's playmaking skills and disruptive presence have helped the Chiefs defense play at an elite level this season.

Under Pressure

It is rare to put an entire position on the hot seat, but the Chiefs wideouts have been underachieving this season. The unit leads the NFL in drops, and their inconsistencies have destroyed drives and squashed plenty of scoring opportunities. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson and Rashee Rice must find a way to take advantage of their opportunities or deal with the burden of being viewed as the weakest links on a championship-caliber team.

Matchup To Watch

Travis Kelce vs. Patrick Graham

The Chiefs' pass-catching woes have forced Andy Reid to completely build the passing game around his All-Pro tight end. The clever play designer will move Kelce around to create opportunities for the playmaking specialist to get his "touches" inside the numbers. Given the tight end's impact, the pressure is on Patrick Graham to devise a plan that neutralizes No. 87's impact on the perimeter. Whether it requires double coverage or a designated "eraser" to eliminate Kelce on key downs, the Raiders must make the All-Pro pass catcher a non-factor to win against their division rival.

Offensive Strategy

The Chiefs offense is a creative masterpiece with various concepts, motions, and formations featured to create favorable matchups and big play opportunities for their blue-chip players. Andy Reid will gauge the Raiders' approach early in the contest and make a few subtle changes to enhance the Chiefs' scoring opportunities against a defense playing its best ball of the season.

Defensive Strategy

Steve Spagnuolo is an ultra-aggressive play-caller with a blitz-heavy scheme that keeps quarterbacks guessing at the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs' "bluff-and-blitz" tactics produce takeaways and pivotal "splash" plays with the game on the line. With Aidan O'Connell poised to face a crafty defensive wizard, the Raiders will need their running game untracked to protect the rookie quarterback from an all-out assault from the Chiefs.

As the Raiders prepare to host the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium, view past matchups of the Silver and Black hosting their division rival.

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