Oakland Raiders v Kansas City Chiefs: X-Factors To Keep An Eye On
By Kevin Saito
The Jack of All Trades
The Chiefs have seemingly found a gem in rookie Tyreek Hill. He’s small, fast, fearless, and can do it all. He gets targets in the passing game, gets a few plays running the ball, and is a demon on special teams.
Two weeks ago against Denver, Hill scored a rare hat trick – he scored on a reception, a rushing attempt, and a kickoff return. Needless to say, he’s a weapon that Andy Reid and the offense loving having at their disposal.
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In their week six matchup, Hill didn’t do a whole lot offensively. He had two receptions for 20 yards and didn’t have a rushing attempt. His biggest contributions came on special teams, as he had a 30 yard kickoff return and a 50 yard punt return against a pretty good special teams coverage unit.
Hill’s role in Kansas City’s offense has expanded in recent weeks – most likely because of Jeremy Maclin’s injury. And now that Maclin is back, Hill may not get as many looks. But you had better believe that Reid is going to be looking for ways to turn him loose against the Raiders.
The Raiders may not be able to completely shut him down, but if they hope to win this game, they will need to minimize the impact he has on this game. Especially, when it comes to special teams. They cannot afford to give up big chunks of field position.
Their kick coverage is going to need to be on point and do everything they can to limit the influence Hill has on this game.