Pick Six: Patrick Mahomes will present another test for the Raiders’ developing defense.
1. How can Mahomes be stopped?
An old question from 2018: How do you stop the quarterback for the Chiefs?
Mahomes has earned his place in the league’s upper echelons ever since he took over as the starting quarterback. In Andy Reid’s offense, his highlight reel inventiveness and accuracy have won him two MVP honors and two Super Bowl rings.
In addition, with a 29-4 record against the AFC West, he has demonstrated dominance over the division throughout his career. Against the Raiders, Mahomes has thrown 27 touchdown passes in his career. The last time the Silver and Black defeated Mahomes was in week five of the 2020 season.
Let’s get back to the topic at hand: how can Mahomes be stopped? In a nutshell, it’s a team effort.
“I think the most dangerous thing you see with him is when he steps up in the pocket and then he veers either right or left and now he’s going parallel to the line of scrimmage so you’re kind of in no man’s land if you’re in coverage,” Antonio Pierce stated. “You have to plaster the nearest receiver before you can move away from them and tackle the quarterback.
“The coverage has to match up with the rush, the rush has to match up with the coverage, and guys have got to do their job.”
2. Uncertain Madd Maxx
Having your defensive anchor on the field is beneficial when you’re facing the league’s MVP. That might not apply to the Silver and Black, though.
Due to a knee injury, Maxx Crosby was ruled out of practice this week and is considered doubtful for Sunday. It goes without saying that Crosby has been a major contributor to the team’s success this year. Playing 98 percent of the defensive snaps, he currently leads the team in quarterback hits (17), tackles for loss (14) and sacks (10.5).
Should Crosby not be cleared to play, it would mark the first time in his NFL career that he has been out of action.
Most likely, it’s just a really strange coincidence. Still, Raider Nation should be pleased that Taylor Swift will be performing this Sunday in Brazil.
For those of you who haven’t been following any news for the past few months, pop sensation Taylor Swift and Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce are developing a romantic relationship. She developed into something of a mainstay for the Chiefs in the early going, providing support for Kelce and appearing to carry some good fortune. In the games she has seen, Kansas City is 4-0 and has averaged 28.5 points.
They are 3-3 when she isn’t there, which includes losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 11 Monday Night Football match.
To sum up, it’s an extremely strange coincidence, but the statistic is nonetheless noteworthy. Additionally, in those four victories, Kelce has averaged 108 receiving yards per game. Kelce has not missed six games and has averaged 41.8 receiving yards per contest.
4. Raiders defense versus Chiefs offense
The Raiders’ defense has been playing better lately.
The Raiders have given up just 12.7 points per game since Week 9, which is the third-best average in the NFL during that time. In that same time frame, the team has also recorded six takeaways and eleven sacks, placing them all among the top five in the league.
“We simply need to improve every single day, every single game,” Pierce stated on Friday. “Very good challenge with the speed against the Dolphins last week. We need to be on our A game because, clearly, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are the ultimate chess masters. We don’t want to assume too much too quickly.
The Raiders defense should be at its best right now as they take on the Chiefs offense, who have been struggling recently. The Chiefs offense has the lowest second-half scoring average in the NFL at 5.3 points per game, even with All-Pros Mahomes and Kelce leading the way. Interestingly, they have lost all three of their previous games by a shutout in the second half.
5. AOC’s first start versus the Chiefs: Aidan O’Connell, a rookie quarterback, will have to be cautious when passing the ball against a stingy Chiefs defense.
O’Connell has made progress in each of his four starts, but in three of those four starts, he has also thrown at least one interception. The Chiefs’ defense has given up the third-fewest points per game in the NFL on average (16.4).
Regarding limiting turnovers, Aidan O’Connell stated, “I think you just have to take the defense gives you and sometimes there’s opportunities down the field and sometimes there’s not.” “It’s really my responsibility to determine quickly whether a downfield opportunity exists and whether it’s a wise choice. If not, look beneath you for something. That’s something that all quarterbacks do, so it’s not something specific to me. I’m attempting to accomplish that on a weekly basis.”
