Mahomes’ Hot Zones, Raiders’ Counterpunch & Meyers Injury Update

RAIDERS VS. CHIEFS DEEP DIVE

Before kickoff, check out our latest Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, where Sterling Holmes of Arrowhead Addict joins me for a deep dive into Sunday’s matchup at Arrowhead. We unpack Patrick Mahomes’ recent hot streak, Travis Kelce’s evolving role, and how Rashee Rice changes the look of KC’s offense — plus what the Raiders must do defensively to keep it close. It’s your go-to scouting report before Vegas takes on Mahomes and company.

KEYS TO VICTORY

Let’s keep it real, this is a tough matchup for the Raiders. The Chiefs seem to have turned things around, and they’re coming into this game on a heater. So it’s not going to be easy to walk out of Arrowhead with a win, but this is the NFL, and anything can happen. After all, the last three games in this series have been decided by an average of five points per game, so the Raiders have been close even when many didn’t expect them to be. With that in mind, here are some keys to victory for the Raiders.

DEFENSE

The Raiders’ defense needs to limit the explosive plays, and the linebackers need to lock down the middle of the field. In the game against the Lions, Patrick Mahomes took advantage of the Detroit backers in coverage. He completed 13-of-17 passes for 165 yards and a TD vs. their linebackers in coverage in the middle of the field. Devin White will likely be tasked with spying Mahomes on a handful of occasions, but when he, Elandon Roberts, and Jamal Adams end up in coverage, they need to find a way to win; otherwise, it could be a long day at the office.

The Chiefs also generated 11 explosive plays vs. the Lions on Sunday night, marking the second straight game they’ve generated 10 or more explosive plays. We’ve seen some shaky coverage on the back end by the Raiders DBs at times. They fared well against the Titans (the Titans are NOT the Chiefs) and will need to replicate that success this week. However, that won’t be easy with Rashee Rice returning to the lineup as Mahomes will have his full arsenal of receivers to attack Patrick Graham’s defense.

OFFENSE

We’ll keep this portion short and sweet. Be efficient, run the ball, and take what the defense gives you. We saw it against the Titans last week: lean on the run and keep Geno in that 65-percent-plus completion percentage range. That’s who he’s been most of his career, and when he does that, good things happen.

Having said that, you can’t just nickel and dime your way to a win over the Chiefs. The Raiders need to be able to connect on a few deep shots, too. Geno Smith only attempted one pass beyond 10 air yards last week against the Titans. On the day, he averaged just 2.9 air yards per pass, which is the second-lowest of any quarterback this season. When the Raiders have had success against the Chiefs, they’ve been able to capitalize on their deep shots. Think back to 2020, Derek Carr and company hooked up on six explosive pass plays and had an average depth of target of 9.7 yards. With that in mind, Tre Tucker will need to be a factor in this one.

Want more on this matchup, and an idea of whether or not the Raiders have the horses in the stable to keep up with the Chiefs? Check out our latest podcast with Ted Nguyen, who took a look at this matchup from a film-based perspective. It dropped this morning just before this newsletter hit your inbox, so click the link below to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts and give it a listen.

JAKOBI’S STATUS UP IN THE AIR

Jakobi Meyers popped up on the injury report this week with a knee/toe injury and because of that, he’s missed the last two days of practice. Chip Kelly said he expected Jakobi to return to practice on Thursday and that obviously didn’t happen. So now his status is in question for Sunday. Whether or not he practices today will be something to watch. If he doesn’t practice, you can likely count him out for Sunday. That would be a brutal loss for the Raiders who are already without their top receiving threat in Brock Bowers, who’s been sidelined since their week four loss to the Bears.

To be fair, Jakobi has only averaged 33.7 yards per game in the last three games, that’s down from the 76 yards per game he averaged through the firts three weeks of the season. But you don’t just get better by not having him out there against a team like the Chiefs. It wouldn’t all hinge on him, but if they Raiders want a shot to win this one, they need Jakobi out there on Sunday.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

RAIDERS ROUNDERS

THE BEST BETS OF THE WEEK FOR THE RAIDERS VS. CHIEFS GAME

We’ve rolled out something new for Raider Nation this season: Raiders Rounders. Each week, I team up with betting analyst Matt Perrault (The Bostonian vs The Book, The Daily Juice) to spotlight the best Raiders bets of the week and a few smart plays from around the NFL. Think of it as the perfect mix of insider football talk and betting insight, giving you a sharper look at how Vegas views the Silver & Black — from player props to game lines — and where the edges might be heading into Sunday.

With that in mind, here’s Matt’s pick for the Raiders’ Week 7 matchup against the Chiefs:

• Chiefs moneyline

Full disclosure, since I’m out of town this week we taped the segment with Matt on Tuesday morning. Because of that, he floated the idea that if the number moved throughout the week it would chance how he played the game. I’ve seen Chiefs -12.5 pretty consistently all week and Matt seems to feel comfortable taking the Chiefs there but noted if the number moved to around -13 or -14 then he’d take the Raiders to cover. So I haven’t seen a number that high but if you find it, he feels that’s a solid play.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Raiders Rounders is all about sharing our perspective on the game. These aren’t betting recommendations — any wagers you place are 100% your responsibility. Bet responsibly.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day. This week, we’re featuring a shot Arnie snagged of Maxx Crosby celebrating a third-down stop that forced the Titans into another punt in their 20-10 victory over Tennessee last Sunday. Check out his work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Pete Carroll closes out the week with his regular Friday press conference around 1:50 p.m. PT. I’m out of town working on a side project this week so I’m not actually at the facility today, but I’ll be following along and covering everything remotely today.

Stay plugged in: Follow along on all our social channels for live updates and takeaways from practice today.

Don’t miss on Sunday: As soon as the game wraps up, we’ll be taping our postgame reaction podcast. Make sure you’re subscribed to us on YouTube so you don’t miss our instant reaction and analysis following the game against the Chiefs.

Catch ya next time,