Oakland Raiders: Keys To Victory Over Kansas City Chiefs

Nov 29, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) runs the ball and is tackled by Buffalo Bills free safety Corey Graham (20) during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 30-22. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Get After Alex Smith

Alex Smith isn’t the flashiest quarterback around. He’s been described as an “effective game manager” – though most often use that phrase in a derogatory fashion. Smith may not light it up, but he also doesn’t take big risks, and as a result, he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes – he has just three interceptions in 354 pass attempts on the season.

One overlooked aspect of Smith’s game is his mobility. Now, nobody is going to ever mistake him for a Russell Wilson or Marcus Mariota, but when he’s needed to make and extend plays with his legs, he’s been able to. He has 303 rushing yards on the season and a healthy average of 5.5 yards per carry.

The Raiders are going to need to do a good job of containing him and preventing him from extending plays with his legs. They are also going to need to put some serious pressure on him.

They did a good job of doing both against a pretty mobile quarterback in Mariota last week. They kept him moving and didn’t let him settle into a rhythm. Khalil Mack recorded a pair of sacks on Mariota and the pressure they were able to apply forced him into some bad passes – and a couple of interceptions as well.

They are going to need a very similar effort against the Chiefs. Oakland may catch a break with two of Kansas City’s starting lineman – Eric Fisher and Mitch Morse – questionable to play Sunday. If the Chiefs are forced to use backups at the center and left tackle spots, the Raiders are going to have to find a way to exploit that and capitalize upon it.

The Chiefs’ offensive line has given up 35 sacks on the year – third most in the entire league – and the Raiders are going to need to add to that total. They need to put heavy, unrelenting pressure on Smith and keep him bottled up or on the ground.

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