Safety Eric Berry
For the second time this season, the Oakland Raiders will meet the Kansas City Chiefs on the gridiron for another division rivalry battle. The Chiefs defeated the Silver and Black in Week 6, but trail the Raiders by a game in the AFC West.
The old school rivalry should feature an old school style of play in the cold weather of Kansas City and will serve as an important game for both parties. The Raiders and Chiefs are playing at a high level and will engage under the bright lights at Arrowhead Stadium, kickoff will begin at 5:25 p.m. PT.
Heading into the showdown, here's what the opponents are saying.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
**Reid shared what he sees from Derek Carr and how he's grown as a quarterback for the Raiders.
**
"I think he's passionate about the game. I think he studied with his brother at a young age. His brother showed him some of the tricks of the trade, nothing like getting it from a peer, and then, if it's your brother, that's even better. I think he loves to play the game, that's what I think."
He talked about the professionalism and character veteran safety Nate Allen exudes on and off the field.
"You bet. As good of a player as he is, he's that type of person too. He's a great kid, very smart. He was banged up just a little bit, but you know he's always going to come back and he's going to play hard. He doesn't make mistakes and that whole deal, so, and he's a good athlete."
Safety Eric Berry
Berry spoke about the Raiders offense and noted they're successful at what they do.
"They just do what they do, and they're good at it. They're a good offense. They have some good players. They play hard. We just want to make sure we're at our best when we come in on Thursday."
The veteran safety said Carr is an ultimate competitor and has some intangibles that can't be taught.
"He's a big time competitor. You can't coach that. You can't teach that. A lot of people don't put a lot of value on that or they forget about that. That's one thing that he does, he competes very well. He also has a good skill set as well. Just that part of it, he comes and brings it every snap."
He talked about running back Latavius Murray's size and his physical ability.
"I feel like he's a solid back. Big body, good speed, finishes runs and he can take it a distance. He's a good back."
**Quarterback Alex Smith
**
Smith shared what it will be like facing the Raiders again and what he expects on Thursday.
"We look at the tape earlier this year and it was tough, close, fought hard. You look at that and you try to play the chess game here of the rematch: what's different, what could change, what might they do different, things like that. And how do we counter that, you try to play that out all on a short week."
He praised defensive end Khalil Mack for his skill set and ability to be a difference maker.
"He's a really good player, seems like every division team has a guy that can really go. He's no different, he's a guy that makes a lot of plays, can change games, he's got that kind of ability, can wreck games if you let him."
Linebacker Derrick Johnson
Johnson acknowledged the rivalry between the opposing teams and what he anticipates taking place on Thursday.
"The rivalry is back… it's going to be a cold one, it's going to be an old school type of game. We're going to run the ball, they're going to run the ball, who's going to stay in there all four quarters and longer if possible. At the end of the day, we know how big that rivalry was and tradition repeats itself, but this is a new era."
He commended Carr for being smart with the football and making good decisions.
"Derek Carr is up for one of the candidates for MVP of the league, that tells you right there he's doing a lot of great things. He's making smart decisions with the ball, he's aggressive, he's not a safe with the ball, he's very aggressive. He makes good decisions with the ball and he's a gutsy guy."
