Oakland Raiders v. Kansas City Chiefs Game Day Open Thread

The Oakland Raiders are in Kansas City, playing in their biggest game since their Super Bowl season in 2002. This is your place to talk about the game and all things Raiders football.

It’s certainly the biggest game of the season for the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. It very well could be the biggest game of the NFL regular season as a whole. The game has a ton of impact for not just the AFC West, but for the AFC playoff picture as a whole.

And it will be played in the freezing cold, on a frozen field in Kansas City. Nothing like old school football between two bitter rivals, huh?

Everybody knows what’s at stake in this game. The winner of this game is very likely going to win the AFC West. They’ll also put themselves in an ideal position for playoff seeding – first round bye, home field advantage, everything is in play. And to the victor go the spoils.

The Chiefs come into the game riding a four game winning streak, and six out of the last seven in the series. But Oakland comes into this game riding a six game winning streak of their own – their longest in a really, really long time.

Andy Reid has outfoxed Jack Del Rio a few times in their head to head matchups. Most people think Reid and Alex Smith have the Raiders’ number. An idea that’s gained some traction given Derek Carr‘s struggles against the Chiefs over his young career.

But in a game like this, with so much on the line, you can throw out records, history, and past performances. They’re irrelevant at this point in time. All that matters tonight is the desire and performance they put up for sixty minutes.

It’s going to be a tough road for the Raiders, who will be playing without Karl Joseph and Stacy McGee. It’s a road made even tougher now that we get word Kelechi Osemele will be out of the lineup tonight. Vadal Alexander will start in his place.

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For a team that has to run the ball with authority tonight, it’s a big blow, that’s for sure. The big bodied mauler that Osemele is opened up plenty of holes for the ground game – holes that Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard depended upon.

But – next man up. If the Raiders wish to be taken seriously as contenders, they’ll have to deal with injury and adversity just like everybody else. And to this point in the season, they’ve handled both exceedingly well.

So, this is it. This one game is essentially for all of the AFC West marbles. Though there are a few games left to be played yet, you get the feeling that the winner tonight may as well just be fitted for the division crown. But hey, 2016 has been a brutally wacky year – seriously, did you see who won the election? – so anything can still happen. And probably will.

But this is a must win game for both squads. And you know they are going to be out there scratching, clawing, kicking, biting, and punching to get a win. This is going to be a war out on the frozen tundra of Arrowhead Stadium. That much, you can take to the bank.

Other than that? It’s anybody’s guess. Both teams have some serious strengths. Both teams have some serious flaws. It’s going to come down to who makes plays and can explose the flaws in the other team more.

So, that’s it. It’s just about time to get it on in Kansas City. How do you see this game playing out? Will the loss of Osemele be the deciding factor? What are the biggest storylines to you? What do you think, folks?

This is your place to talk about the game and all things Raiders football. So step on up, speak out, and be heard!