Heading into the Oakland Raiders Week 13 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, Raiders.com highlighted three matchups that would be critical in how the game played out.
After leading throughout the game, the Silver and Black gave up 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and eventually fell to the Chiefs 34-20, so let's look back and see how those three matchups played themselves out.
Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree vs. Cornerback Marcus Peters
Peters spend most of the day lined up to the right of quarterback Derek Carr, and as such he got a look at several of the Raiders wide receivers including both Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.
Crabtree finished the day with 5 catches for 45 yards and 1 TD – an impressive grab that Carr threw into double coverage.
Crabtree now has seven receiving touchdowns on the year and is the first Raiders player with at least 4 receptions in 12 straight games to begin the season.
However, it was Peters, the Oakland, Calif.,-native, who got the last laugh Sunday at O.co Coliseum.
Peters put together an impressive homecoming, finishing the game with 6 total tackles, 2 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 INT of Carr that came in the critical moments of the fourth quarter.
Defensive Tackles Justin Ellis and Dan Williams vs. Running Back Charcandrick West
All in all, you'd have to give the advantage in this matchup to the Raiders big men in the middle.
The Silver and Black's defensive line played admirably, surrendering 89 yards on the ground and just 35 yards to West.
In addition to Ellis and Williams in the middle, Khalil Mack was once again a force in stopping the run, and over the past month or so has really begun to assert his dominance along the defensive line.
"I thought Khalil Mack took another step forward in terms of asserting himself in the front," said Head Coach Jack Del Rio. "Showed up around the quarterback three different times, ended up with two sacks, really good to see."
Cornerback David Amerson vs. Wide Receiver Jeremy Maclin
While it may not have been the dazzling effort he put forward a week ago against the Bills, Maclin quietly put together another quality game against the Raiders.
He finished the day with 9 catches for 95 yards with a pair of touchdowns to boot.
Maclin did a good amount of his damage in the first half, catching all 6 passes he was targeted on and providing a reliable weapon for Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense when they needed it most.
While Maclin did leave his imprint on the game, outside of containing him, the Raiders secondary played well, allowing Smith to throw for just 162 yards Sunday.
