Oakland Raiders v. Kansas City Chiefs May Well Be An Elimination Game

The Oakland Raiders renew hostilities with Kansas City this weekend in a game that has the feel of a knockout game, with the loser missing out on a trip to the postseason.

The Oakland Raiders square off with division rival Kansas City this weekend, with first place in the division on the line.

Yeah, given that both teams are 6-6 and are also tied with Philip Rivers and the resurgent Los Angeles Chargers, that whole battle for first place thing doesn’t have quite the shine it should have. It’s not anywhere near as glamorous as it could have been.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Quite the contrary, actually, as this game between two .500 clubs is absolutely critical.

With five games remaining and the playoff picture starting to come into focus, you can’t help but get the feeling that this is going to be an elimination game.

The loser will fall to 6-7, obviously. But more than that, it will put that 6-7 club directly behind the 8-ball. With some clubs starting to pick up some steam and momentum, it might be a hole too deep for a 6-7 club to crawl out of.

If it’s the Raiders who lose, they’ll split the season series with Kansas City and have to hope the Chiefs and Chargers both stumble down the stretch, if they hope to have a shot at winning the division.

Which, quite frankly, with the way the playoff picture is shaping up, might be the only way they’re getting into the postseason.

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As of this writing, if Oakland doesn’t win the West outright, they’re going to have to leapfrog quite a few teams ahead of them. And with the Titans (8-4), the Jaguars (7-5), and Ravens (7-5), all sitting ahead of them – as well as the Chargers (6-6) and the Bills (6-6), sitting alongside – that might be a tough road to hoe.

Suffice it to say, as the season winds down, and the playoff picture starts to clear up, its not looking like a 9-7 record is going to be good enough to punch a postseason ticket.

The Chiefs were dealt a big blow – actually, they dealt themselves a big blow – by suspending cornerback Marcus Peters for this pivotal showdown. That’s going to leave the Chiefs shorthanded, with 32-year old Darrelle Revis to likely playing a bigger role.

Without having to worry about Peters roaming the defensive backfield, and with Revis’ diminishing skills still a question mark, that could bode well for quarterback Derek Carr and his receiving group to have a big day.

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That Raiders though, aren’t without problems of their own. Amari Cooper, though he’s cleared the league’s concussion protocol after a vicious hit by Broncos safety Darian Stewart, is still dealing with an ankle injury sustained on the same play. He was back on the practice field on Friday, but is likely going to be a game-time decision.

However, Cooper’s absence could be mitigated by fact that Cordarrelle Patterson and Johnny Holton have both steppd up to help fill the offensive void created by the absence of Cooper and the suspended Michael Crabtree last week – who will be back on the field for Oakland this week, which can only help.

Throwing to a receivers group that was without his top two targets, Carr had a decent afternoon, completing 61 percent of his passes (22/36) for 282 yards and a touchdown – all part of a 401 yard, 24-point offensive explosion for this team – given how hobbled this offense has been this season, that pretty much does qualify as an “explosion.”

Squaring off with the league’s thirtieth-ranked defense, (twenty-eight passing, thirtieth rushing), Oakland’s offense should find some room to roam. They should be able to move the ball.

It’s the defense that is cause for concern. Despite losing four straight and six of seven overall, Kansas City still enters the game with the league’s sixth-ranked offense. Alex Smith leads the ninth-ranked passing game and sixth-ranked scoring offense.

This is an offense that’s put up 27 points or more in seven of their 12 games this year, and is coming off a 31-point effort in last week’s loss to the Jets.

One would think though – or at least, have to hope – that if the Jets can hang 38 points on this Kansas City defense, Oakland, which has far more firepower, should be able to do the same.

The stars have all lined up just for the Raiders. As downright atrocious as they’ve been at points this season, their goal is still right there in front of them – an AFC West title and a return trip to the postseason. All they have to do is keep winning.

This game against the Chiefs is bigger than just a rivalry game. A stumble here can – and very likely will – bring a premature end to the 2017 season for whichever teams loses. Whoever loses this game drops to 6-7 on the year and will likely just be playing out the string.

It’s not a playoff game, but it sure feels like one. The Raiders need to find and hold on to that win or go home mentality because although there will be three games after Sunday’s tilt, this is pretty likely an elimination game for the loser.