Will KC's Defense Look Better Against Rival Raiders In Week 2?

An intriguing challenge for our Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 seemingly became less intriguing when Nick Foles left the game and seemingly erased the Jacksonville Jaguars' realistic hopes for victory. However, rookie backup QB Gardner Minshew completed his first 13 pass attempts and the Jags finished the day with 428 total yards. a . Minshew was the 2018 PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and his story is legit, so perhaps he's better than many in Chiefs Kingdom had presumed (myself included). Still, members of that new Chiefs defense must've been shaking their heads after allowing an unheralded sixth-round pick to earn a 122.5 Quarterback Rating.

Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr earned a 121 Quarterback Rating against the Denver Broncos last week. Even though I call him mean nicknames for my own amusement on a regular basis, Carr is a veteran QB who just led his squad to a win over a division rival with a solid defense. His offensive line also stopped the intimidating duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb and the rest of the Denver D from sacking Carr a single time. Chiefs Kingdom is justifiably scared about both the secondary and the edge rushing capability of this freshly rebuilt KC defense, so this looks like another setup for a fitting test.

My focus is clearly on the defensive side of the ball for the next chapter of this recently lopsided  rivalry because it's still easy to be confident about KC's offense. Tyreek Hill is tough to replace, but the Chiefs just so happened to spend their first-round pick with the motive of replacing Tyreek Hill for several weeks. This should somewhat ease the minds of Chiefs fans everywhere, as we can once again be confident about rolling into Oakland with a high-octane offense. Add the Jonathan Abram injury to the mix, and we've got the makings for Mahomes Magic and a lot of points on the board. My only concern would be keeping Patrick safe from Clelin Ferrell and Company. Let's see how the Mahomes-Mecole Connection feels, and let's see how KC's defense bounces back from their uninspiring start to the season.

Doug LaCerte is currently too busy looking at Gardner Minshew memes to care about Twitter or Facebook.

AFC West Up for Grabs During 2017's Final Raiders Week

The final Raiders Week of 2017 culminates in a crucial Week 14 face-off. A win for the Oakland Raiders keeps their playoff hopes alive, while also putting Kansas City's playoff future in question. so the Chiefs' most hated rival will be as desperate as ever to win at Arrowhead today.

At least KC won't worry about facing a dominant running game. The Raiders' Marshawn Lynch isn't even in the league's top-20 backs any more. Oakland's 93.3 rushing yards per game is the NFL's eighth-lowest, so limiting the run and forcing some incomplete passes could give the Chiefs an advantage through time of possession which might give them a chance. Sadly, I cannot have blind faith that KC's defense, namely its defensive coordinator, will adjust enough to win today.

Bob Sutton's stubbornness or perhaps ineptitude when it comes to altering his defense could be the biggest factor in KC's collapse this season. His defense can't get consistent pressure on opposing QB's, but Sutton refuses to blitz consistently enough to create pressure. The Chiefs secondary commonly gets burnt as the QB stays comfy in an undisturbed pocket, while Sutton's gameplan doesn't allow for Justin Houston or anyone else to consistently incite fear. I'd be thrilled to see consistent, heavy, confusing blitzing against Derek Carr today, and I refuse to be upset if he reacts smoothly to burn the Chiefs for a timely touchdown. I'll just be glad that someone forced the opposing QB to make a big play while under serious pressure, because the KC defense we've seen for the vast majority of this season simply cannot do that.

Health issues with KC's best edge rushers have made this difficult this season. I get that. If something doesn't change soon though, our Chiefs won't even make the playoffs.

On the flip-side, KC's offense excelled last week under recently tweaked coaching. Matt Nagy's play-calling led to numerous huge gains through the air and more than enough total yardage and points to win that game. Let's hope Andy Reid sees the difference this made and reflects on what something similar could do for KC's defense. This brings me to my sadder-than-usual predictions for the week.

1. We have a playoff roster here in KC. The reasons for this tailspin revolve around the coaching staff. If Sutton sells out to pressure Derek Carr, he'll deserve credit for making a crucial change. If he doesn't, I'll continue to complain about him incessantly. I predict that KC will win this game if they hit Carr four or more times and sack him at least twice. I also predict that this will not happen. I also predict being really happy about being wrong if I'm wrong about that.

2. With Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree both playing, and Marcus Peters and Dee Ford out, the Chiefs secondary seems to be outmatched today. I predict that the Chiefs allow 275 or more passing yards to their most hated rival.

3. Partly because Oakland induces the league's fewest turnovers, I predict another solid, clean game from KC's offense, thanks also to more savvy-but-conservative Matt Nagy play-calling. This still won't be enough to overcome the pounding that Oakland's passing game can inflict on KC's weakened secondary today. The Chiefs will lose another close one late, 27-24, and once again leave Chiefs Kingdom restless.

Doug LaCerte has a Facebook page and enjoys the occasional anti-Derek Car meme on Twitter @DLaC67.

Comparing Schedules of All AFC West Contenders

The ongoing collapse of the Kansas City Chiefs left the door wide open for other teams in the AFC West to fight back into the race for the division title. KC now sits at 6-6 along with the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. Chiefs Kingdom assumed the West would be wrapped up by now, but it's suddenly anybody's division to win.

The Chiefs get back to business next Saturday at noon when they face the Raiders at Arrowhead. They then host the Chargers in Week 15 in a rare Saturday night game, before facing the Dolphins on Christmas Eve in the Chiefs' third consecutive home game. KC then finishes off the regular season with a 3:25 meeting at Mile High with the Broncos on New Year's Eve. None of these teams are currently above .500, but hey, neither are any of the last four teams to beat your Kansas City Chiefs. The opportunity to beat both other clubs vying for the division title gives the Chiefs control over their own fate, but how do the competition's schedules compare to Kansas City's?

The Chargers play the 5-7 Washington Redskins next week, then travel to KC for that odd Saturday Night game. Then, they'll get their chance to beat up the Jets, before wrapping up their regular season schedule against the Raiders. Oakland's path to the playoffs seems far more arduous. After playing the Chiefs next week, they'll host the 6-6 Cowboys before travelling east to face the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles. Then, as mentioned before, they finish their regular season against the Chargers.

On paper, KC's path to the playoffs is still easier than that of any other team in their division, while the Raiders' looks like the toughest. Each squad will face the other two teams with playoff aspirations, so it should be an unexpectedly exciting fight for the division title until the very end.

If I had to guess, and I don't love predicting anything about this unpredictably awful Chiefs team right now, I'd say that the Chargers win three out of four as the Chiefs and Raiders win just two of four. That makes the L.A Chargers my current favorite to win the AFC West. Thinking it and typing it both make me feel sick. Please prove me wrong, Chiefs.

Doug LaCerte still has Facebook and occasionally tweets @DLaC67.

Raiders Week Becomes Bounce-Back Week for KC

Sunday stunk, so much so that my heart still stings as I try not to envision that ball bouncing off Phillip Gaines' face mask. Thankfully, there is no greater way to forget about gut-wrenching defeat than remembering that it's Raiders Week. It's a short week this time, sure, but the hate is still strong, and the stakes are high for both teams in this delicious rivalry. Here are this week's three quick predictions:

1. Trust Andy Reid, you guys. He's earned it. I know Sunday's game was brutal, but all that success doesn't just go poof and disappear after one ugly defeat. Andy and his shovel-passin', screen-happy offensive style developed a deep-pass threat this season that made KC's offense look impressive in all-but-one game so far this year. Last week was not a return to form. It was a momentary stumble. I think. I hope. I predict that the Chiefs will rip off a gain of at least 55 yards that helps the Kingdom remember just how lucky we are this year.

2. Let's also not forget that Alex Smith is enjoying the best year of his career to this point. This is largely because his rediscovered running skills force defenders to decide between crashing on the QB or staying on their man. He's not just extending plays - he's making big plays happen by threatening defenses with his legs. For whatever reason, that was extremely limited in the game-plan last season, but fans in KC should be ecstatic to see this happening consistently this time around. Alex ran for just 134 yards last season, and he's already racked up 121 through six games this year. I predict that Smith will surpass his rushing yards total from last year tonight.

3. The Raiders' season to this point has been...inconsistent. Oakland put up 45 in a win against the New York Jets in Week 2, then turned around the next week and scored just 10 against Washington. The Baltimore Ravens' average points/game of 19 is 24th in football, yet they scored 30 against Oakland in Week 5. A healthy Derek Carr has fans in Oakland hyped for this one, but the Chiefs' dominance over Carr throughout the Andy Reid era is well-documented. It could develop into an ugly, chippy game tonight, but the Chiefs will win and cover their 3-point spread. KC wins 26-20, and peace returns to Chiefs Kingdom.

Doug LaCerte didn't get much better about neglecting his Facebook page or Twitter @DLaC67. He'll do better eventually, maybe.

Even With Flaws, KC's Defense Is Elite

Your Kansas City Chiefs just earned their spot in the driver’s seat to a first-round bye in the playoffs, but which aspect of this team will be remembered for getting them there? After seeing your Chiefs bailed out time after time by a turnover or a crucial 3^rd-down stop, is it really a question? The stats could dissuade you at first glance, but the defense in Chiefs Kingdom is elite.

Don’t let the league’s 27^th-ranked yards allowed per game fool you; only seven teams allow fewer points per game than Kansas City does, and six of those teams are playoff-bound. Despite not forcing any turnovers last Thursday against the Oakland Raiders, KC is still tied for the most takeaways in the NFL this season. KC's efforts against some of the league's best QBs prove that the defense stays stout when it's needed most.

Drew Brees currently commands the highest-ranked offense in football, but the Chiefs held the Saints to 6.5 points less than their current average. KC held Andrew Luck and Indianapolis to 11.2 yards below their current average. The Chiefs also held Matt Ryan and his outstanding Falcons offense to 12 points in the second half to sneak away with an overtime win in Atlanta. KC's defense limited Cam Newton, the reigning offensive MVP, and they humbled the former MVP front-runner Derek Carr by handing him an embarrassing loss at a crucial moment in the season. Twice.

Our Chiefs already played the teams who rank first, second, third and fourth in average points per game. The New England Patriots are #5. How's that for foreshadowing?

We can’t look too far ahead, however, as the Tennessee Titans could threaten our chance for playoff football at Arrowhead Stadium this year. It will continue to be painfully cold in KC tomorrow, and the Chiefs’ inability to stop the run makes Tennessee an opponent that should be taken seriously.

The Titans rank 3^rd league-wide in rushing yards per game, while only five NFL teams allow more rushing yards per game than Kansas City. Only one of the teams worse at stopping the run than KC – the Denver Broncos – has probable odds to reach the playoffs. Tennessee is the best running offense the Chiefs will face this regular season, making Andy Reid and Company’s extra days of game-planning even more beneficial.

The mega-cliché of the “bend-don’t-break” defense will be tested on icy Arrowhead turf tomorrow, but our 2016 Chiefs consistently pass tough tests. It’s gonna be ugly, again, but I believe KC has the big-play potential – even in nasty conditions – to sneak away with another victory. I predict yet another gritty, hard-fought victory for KC. The good guys will win, 20-16, and we’ll all feel a little bit warmer here in Chiefs Kingdom. I hope.

Doug LaCerte occasionally remembers he has a Twitter @DLaC67, and he still has Facebook.

Do KC's Injuries Spell Doom In Denver?

An intense divisional rivalry returns to Mile High Stadium tonight, when your 7-3 Kansas City Chiefs take on the 7-3 Denver Broncos. This is the first time KC traveled to The Centennial State since pummeling the Broncos 29-13 over a year ago. Despite being two of the NFL’s best teams, neither team in tonight’s game is getting positive production from their quarterbacks.

Alex Smith hasn't looked like a legit franchise QB since he faced the defensively inept New Orleans Saints in Week 7. In fact, Alex only looked "good" in three, maybe four of KC's 10 games played so far this season. Smith went 17 for 24 against the Saints for 214 yards and 2 TDs without throwing a pick. In the week prior, he beat up the Oakland Raiders in Oakland with a 19/22, 224-yard performance that broke the franchise record for single-game completion percentage. In Week 3, Smith helped KC take advantage of a billion Ryan Fitzpatrick turnovers by completing 25 of 33 passes and earning 237 yards through the air.

We can also include his comeback performance against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, when Alex threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns to overcome a huge deficit and lead KC to a 1-0 record. That's four games out of 10 in which your franchise QB looked average or better. Even with a few flashes of brilliance, Chiefs fans can't help but wonder if Smith is good enough to ever win them a Super Bowl. No team has won a Super Bowl with a subpar quarterback since- wait, never mind.

It can be done, but winning the Big Game without a good/great QB requires an excellent defense. When Kansas City brings all their defensive starters to the field, that's what they have. Sadly, the Chiefs enter this game without many of their most important defensive pieces today, which makes winning in Denver a tough bet. Jaye Howard, Dee Ford and Steven Nelson are out today, while Marcus Peters, Derrick Johnson and Dontari Poe are still listed as questionable. That’s one or two starters at every level of the defense that won’t be playing today. I tried mightily to sell myself on a Chiefs victory tonight, but it doesn’t seem likely.

In order for KC to win tonight, Smith needs to outperform Trevor Siemian. If not for the Chiefs’ current injury issues, I’d say that’s possible, if not likely. Both quarterbacks are similarly unimpressive at this point of the season; Smith ranks 26^th league-wide in yards-per-game, while Siemian ranks 28^th. Alex seemed to miss his Captain Checkdown moniker after impressing many Chiefs fans through Week 7, because he’s recently returned to that pointless short-pass style in a major way. Only six starting QBs have a higher completion percentage than Smith’s 67.2%, but 22 QBs with at least 200 pass attempts have a higher yard-per-catch average than Alex’s 6.9.

Things could get ugly if KC’s patchwork defense allows Siemian to get comfortable. If Denver’s young QB gets enough time in the pocket to consistently find Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, our Chiefs are in trouble. Thomas and Sanders both have over 50 catches, over 650 yards and average over 12 yards per catch. I have to predict a 20-13 loss for our Chiefs today, but it wouldn’t be too disastrous. I’m always stoked for a game against a division rival, but I’ll be even more excited to see KC face the defending champs with a healthy defense. A loss for our Chiefs today won’t be the end of the world, but a loss for the Broncos could really send them scrambling. That would be delicious, but not absolutely necessary for a strong KC playoff run.

Doug LaCerte definitely still uses Twitter @DLaC67, and kinda still uses Facebook.

AFC West's Best Faces Defending NFC Champs

Our Kansas City Chiefs found a way to avoid losing against a considerably lesser opponent last week, but in just minutes, the Chiefs face the defending NFC champs. We know Kansas City won't win all the games they "should", but they "should've" lost against the Jags last Sunday. The Chiefs earning a win in ugly fashion, and without many of their most important pieces, stands as evidence that KC is legit. However, fans can't take too much from a victory against such an inferior team. We can rest easy knowing they snuck away with a win, but it wasn’t a pretty moment for the Nick Foles-led Chiefs.

The cellar-dwelling 2-6 Jaguars dominated Kansas City in practically every important statistic, except for the stat that matters most - turnovers. Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel pointed out that during this four-game winning streak, the Chiefs never turned the ball over, and the defense forced 10 turnovers. Since the last time KC turned the ball over, the Denver Broncos have lost two games and given up the ball seven times. So, who's the best team in the AFC West?

I think it's the Chiefs, but man, it's close. The Oakland Raiders proved...something by beating up the Broncos last Sunday night, but I still don't think they proved they're as legit a team as the Chiefs. If anything, the Raiders only proved that Denver is less-daunting an opponent than I assumed.  The incredible softness of Oakland’s schedule and a commanding KC victory in The Black Hole tells me our Chiefs are the cream of the crop in the NFL’s best division. The extremely impactful emergence of Dee Ford could be the biggest reason why.

After myself and many others deemed him a bust, Dee Ford may end up helping KC reach a Super Bowl this year and solidify their defense in years to come. Thinking about this new-and-improved Ford opposite a fully functioning Justin Houston is enough to give me goosebumps. If Houston looks like himself shortly after returning to play this season, watching this duo will inspire confidence and make the diminishing production from Tamba Hali much less sad. Only six QBs in the league have been sacked more often than Cam Newton, so Ford’s contributions today could decide KC’s status in the division (for now).

On the other side of the ball, Carolina ranks 4^th in sacks, and their front seven consistently stifles their opponents’ running game. KC ranks 27^th in rushing yards allowed, while Carolina ranks 3^rd. Spencer Ware is back in action now, and the Chiefs need him to succeed against a dominant defense in order to successfully control the clock in Carolina today.

Turnovers, or a lack thereof, will ultimately decide this game. Carolina owns the NFL’s 5^th-worst turnover ratio, while KC has the league’s best. If the Chiefs continue on this pace, they’ll have a good chance at a win today, but it won’t be easy against a Panthers D that looks more daunting with every stat I read. Without the ability to manage the game by successfully run the ball, Andy Reid’s offensive game plan often goes haywire.

I’m predicting a 24-17 defeat for our Chiefs this afternoon, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see KC win. If they make me look stupid (won’t be the first time) and come away with a nice road victory, our Chiefs will be a bona fide first-place team for the first time this season. That would be something to be thankful for, but hey, let me save my corny Thanksgiving material for next week.

Doug LaCerte enjoys insulting the Raiders on Twitter @DLaC67, and he's still ignoring friend requests from numerous family members on Facebook.

Chiefs Reach Week 8 Without Sense of Identity

This season's lack of wins against a “good” football team forces me to wonder about the identity of the 2017 Kansas City Chiefs. KC's a top-ten team according to power rankings from NFL.com, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and CBS Sports, but where's our signature win? I guess the Chiefs' most impressive victory so far was their Week 1 comeback against the last-place, 3-4 San Diego Chargers. That comeback gave both fans and teammates confidence that Alex Smith could elevate this offense when KC needed him most. Sadly, Smith then went on to score 14 points or less in two of KC’s next three games.

The offense has rarely been a total disaster, thanks to Spencer Ware's weekly Pro Bowl-caliber contributions, but rarely has it looked fully operational. KC ranks 19th league-wide in total yards per game, 17th in points per game and 14th in turnover percentage. They epitomize "average offense.” Bright sides include the 3^rd-least-penalized offense in the NFL and a +7 turnover ratio that ranks 4^th, but limiting mistakes alone doesn’t automatically make you great, or even good.

We can’t forget about the Oakland Raiders looking like a cellar dweller against our Chiefs in Week 6, and some may justifiably consider that KC’s greatest accomplishment of this youngish season. The Raiders aren’t half as legit as their 5-2 record would indicate, so I respectfully disagree. Oakland hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record, and they won three of those five games by 3 points or less. At least the Chargers can say they beat the Broncos in Week 6.

KC has four more games coming up against teams currently below .500. Each Sunday presents its own set of challenges, the Chiefs can't sleep on any of these hungry football teams and blah blah blah all those other clichés you’ve heard about "any given Sunday". That being said, KC won't be underdogs again until Week 12 when they travel to Colorado. That means the Chiefs could realistically reach an 8-2 record without defeating a “good” football team.

I wish I could say this upcoming game will give us some answers, but it looks like rinse-and-repeat (-and-repeat) for KC in Week 8. Oakland and New Orleans had several obvious similarities, and we can draw apparent parallels between the Saints and Indianapolis Colts, too. SI's Chris Burke even referred to Indy as "the AFC Saints" in his latest power rankings. So, for the third straight week, KC faces an opponent with a dynamic passing offense and a porous defense. They can still reuse much of the gameplan Andy Reid designed during the Week 5 bye. That alone would make the Chiefs a Vegas favorite this Sunday.

So, what is this team’s identity? When you think of this year’s Chiefs, what comes to mind? I’ll answer my own question with another question: is it a cop-out to just name the most outstanding players on the team? I definitely envision Marcus Peters picking off infuriated QBs while Spencer Ware blasts through opposing defenses, but a team identity rises above individual pieces. Due partly to their lack of a signature win this season, and despite being a top-ten team in the NFL, KC doesn’t have that. Losing is the only thing that can change the Chiefs’ identity until November 27^th, when they face off with the Broncos at Mile High Stadium.

Doug LaCerte tries not to neglect his Twitter account @DLaC67, and he occasionally still uses his Facebook page.

3 Ways to Win in Week 7

Our Kansas City Chiefs won comfortably last week against the 4-2 Oakland Raiders, but it won’t be a walk in the park facing Drew Brees’ 2-3 New Orleans Saints in Week 7. Despite the Saints coming to town with a genuinely intimidating offense run by a future Hall of Famer, there are still ways KC can convincingly claim victory at Arrowhead this Sunday. The Chiefs will win…

1-      …if Alex Smith comes anywhere close to the game he had last week. Smith gave us the most efficient performance in franchise history, and he did it without completing four passes to a single Chief. Seven different Chiefs caught two of Smith's 19 completions, and Alex finished the day without a touchdown pass. It was a strange way to be great, but we witnessed a glimpse of greatness from KC's franchise quarterback last Sunday.

2-      …if the altered defensive line dominates the line of scrimmage like they did last week in Oakland. Chris Jones, Jaye Howard and Dontari Poe all stayed on the field for extra snaps because of Allen Bailey’s injury, and the result was a stifled Raiders offense that mustered only 10 points. The increased playing time for these defensive linemen helped KC earn a commanding victory at a critical point in the season.

These extra snaps are particularly noteworthy for Chris Jones, since KC’s next opponent is the league's pass-happiest. Bailey is strong against the run, but scouts say Jones is a better pass-rush option, and my amateur eyeballs agree. The next three teams on KC’s schedule rank first, third and sixth respectively in team passing play percentage, so the loss of Allen Bailey may actually help the Chiefs.

3-      …if KC keeps the turnover ratio in their favor. Yeah that’s cliché, but the Chiefs haven’t won a game this year in which they lost the turnover ratio. Drew Brees, leader of the NFL’s second-greatest offense and its best pass-attack, will undoubtedly look to burn KC’s Marcus Peters on more than one occasion this Sunday. The Chiefs can still win with Peters getting beat on big plays a couple times, but only if he can claim vengeance with a pick, which he’s proven capable of doing more often than not. The guy’s on pace to be the greatest interception threat of all time, so sure, he can occasionally gamble and lose without costing his team the game.

It’s not quite the same feel as Raiders Week, based largely on the joy of hating Oakland and the inability to hate Drew Brees. I’ll do more research on the Aints and get back to you with more hatred before this Sunday’s noon kickoff.

Doug LaCerte sometimes uses Twitter @DLaC67 when it's not being cyber-attacked or whatever, and he still has a Facebook page.

The Good, The Bad and The Awesome from KC's Week 6 Win

This season’s first installment of the decades-old rivalry between the heroic Kansas City Chiefs and the dastardly Oakland Raiders resulted in a comfortable, important victory for the good guys. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the really, really good from yesterday’s satisfying stomping in Oakland:

The Good – Almost everything? Let's get specific and give some love to KC’s offensive linemen, who comfortably controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the game. Their dominance allowed Alex Smith to complete 19 of his 22 pass attempts (a franchise record for completion percentage) and allowed Spencer Ware to run for 131 yards. Only five people on the planet currently have more 2016 yards from scrimmage than Ware. Any team in the NFL would struggle to beat the Chiefs on a day when Ware has room to run and Smith records a 109.1 passer rating.

The Bad – The questions that Chiefs fans must ask through the week paint the picture of a team with tremendous potential but too many concerns to be considered elite. While Pats fans wonder how many touchdowns Tom Brady's about to throw next week, fans in KC are asking more daunting questions. 

We still don't know when Justin Houston will be himself again, and despite a hope-inducing nine carries against the Raiders for Jamaal Charles, nobody knows how often #25 will be able to contribute going forward. We also don't know if the offensive success KC enjoyed against the Raiders can be replicated against a more legitimate defense. As the Star's Terez A. Paylor wisely pointed out, Oakland's passing defense was the NFL's worst heading into yesterday’s game, and their run defense ranked 27th.

Also, Amari Cooper’s 10 catches for 129 yards makes him the first player with over 100 receiving yards against KC since Week 2, which could reignite fears regarding KC’s weakness against elite wide outs.

The Awesome – Marcus Peters’ feast-or-famine style of play continues to work in his favor, and his fifth pick of the season is a perfect example. After Amari Cooper burned Peters on a double move, Marcus trusted his safety help and immediately reacted by deciding to play the ball, confident that Raiders QB Derek Carr couldn't successfully reach Cooper with the pass. His initial failure and immediate decision to gamble resulted in a momentum-shifting interception.

I would be remiss if I didn't also reflect on an all-time great scoring his first touchdown of the season and increasing his workload to nine carries. The next two teams on KC’s schedule – the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts – rank 25^th and 24^th respectively in rushing yards allowed per game this season. These next two weeks should be a great indicator of how much Jamaal still has in the tank. If KC scouts are to be believed, we will all witness the resurgence of one of NFL history’s greatest talents within the month of October. Now that would be awesome.

Doug LaCerte occasionally remembers that he exists on Twitter @DLaC67, and he still uses his Facebook to find good Raider Hater memes.

Comeback Chaos for AFC West Competitors

Aaaaaand after a little two-year break, we're back! Here's a Week 1 recap for the entire AFC West, but check back soon for more Chiefs-based analysis:

If you live and die with an AFC West team that was expected to be competitive this year, this should feel like a rather lovely week. Football is back, and you just experienced an extremely entertaining comeback victory that earned your team part of a three-way tie for 1^st place in the division. What a wonderful start to the season it was, unless you’re a Chargers fan.

The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers began the regular season in memorable fashion Thursday night as 25.4 million people watched from home. This one-point comeback win for the defending champs in the season-opening Super Bowl rematch only served as the first course of intense entertainment served up by the AFC West in Week 1.

The Oakland Raiders took their high hopes and highly regarded quarterback David Carr for a long plane ride southeast on Sunday to start their regular season against the New Orleans Saints. Oakland overcame a four-touchdown, 424-yard day from Drew Brees and a 14-point deficit to start their season 1-0. Carr went blow-for-blow with Brees until the very end, when a Raiders touchdown drive, a two-point conversion and a barely-missed 61-yard field goal attempt from New Orleans resulted in a 25-24 comeback victory for Oakland. Viewers of that game probably presumed nothing would top what they just watched, but as that Raiders game wrapped up, Oakland’s greatest rival was mounting another incredible comeback in Kansas City.

OddsShark.com gave the San Diego Chargers 6.5 points in this matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, but Philip Rivers and Company got off to an early 24-3 lead at Arrowhead. The Chiefs defense then buckled down and allowed just 6 points in the second half, and KC managed to score 17 points in the 4^th quarter's last 10 minutes to send the game to overtime. Alex Smith then led the Chiefs on a 10-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a game-winning, two-yard touchdown run.

The previous comeback wins for their divisional rivals must alter the emotional flavor of this victory for the Chiefs, and vice versa. These hard-fought games ramp up the tension and excitement within the division that will only escalate as the season continues.

Next week, Kansas City travels to Houston where OddsShark.com says they’ll be two-point underdogs against the Houston Texans – the same organization they thrashed and shut out in the AFC Divisional round of last year’s playoffs. Denver will be heavily favored against the 0-1 Indianapolis Colts, and Oakland will reportedly give 4.5 to the 0-1 Atlanta Falcons in the Raiders’ home opener. The Chargers return to San Diego, where they’ll try for a fresh start against the 0-1 Jacksonville Jaguars. Teams from the AFC West won’t face off again until Week 5, when the Chargers travel to Oakland. The Chiefs then travel to Oakland in Week 6 for what could be one of the biggest games in this great rivalry’s recent history.

Doug LaCerte frequently neglects his Facebook page, and he profoundly appreciates each of the 17 people following him on Twitter @DLaC67.

A New Reason To Hate

Thanks to a Denver defeat on Thursday, the rest of the regular season just became a hell of a lot more interesting for Chiefs Kingdom. KC is again technically tied with the Broncos atop the AFC West, but they'll need to win out and witness another Denver loss to claim that sexy #2 seed. That makes this afternoon's game in Oakland far more relevant than most Raider Haters imagined it would be entering the week. After a borderline-pitiful trouncing of the Redskins, KC should be coming into The Pit or The Black Zone or whatever with plenty of confidence on the offensive side of the ball. Don't tell me what they call it. I don't care.

This Chiefs offense has finally started to find their rhythm in the last few games. Regardless of what many will say about a lethargic effort from Washington last week, KC has been playing their best offense of the year, ever since that exciting but ultimately infuriating loss to San Diego. It's no surprise that Jamaal Charles' best rushing performance of the year coincided with the Chiefs' highest scoring game. Thanks to some relentless early-game scoring, the Redskins' chance of winning dropped below 1% in less than 20 minutes of game-time (according to the game's Win Probability graph.)

The defense obviously did their part, holding a listless Redskins offense to 10 points and 257 yards and sacking RGIII five times. Last week's game and this weeks game, alike should serve as confidence boosters for the Chiefs D, as well as further proof that they can succeed without Justin Houston – against subpar opponents, at least. The real test will come when Houston is healthy and facing off against Andrew Luck and the Colts, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, there is still plenty of friendly, good-hearted competition to be had with those highly-respected and well-renowned Oakland Raiders.

With another loss last week, Oakland guaranteed themselves another losing season and a full decade of being losers. The Raiders haven't recorded a winning season since 2002, which is a stat that makes any jokes about them just seem cheap at this point. That's not like kicking a man while he's down, it's like kicking a crippled, syphilitic old woman after she falls down the stairs. So, I refuse to stoop to that level. No talk about their embarrassing QB situation, not from me. No mentioning their loss earlier this season against the same team KC just dominated last week, no sir or madam. I'm better than that.

Here are my five predictions for today's game.

1- Most KC fans are confident in their defense by this point, especially when Houston returns, so it seems clear that the offense's improvement will largely determine their chance of success in the playoffs. Only 8 teams give up more points per game than Oakland, which means this game shouldn't be much of a test. Nonetheless, the Chiefs need to avoid playing down to their competition and dominate this game. Expect KC to extend their 3-game streak of scoring 30+ points.

2- Not to be outdone by Knile Davis' franchise record-tying return, Quintin Demps brought one back in Washington to give KC the most touchdowns from kickoff and punt returns of anyone in the league. While they may not get a chance to return another one this afternoon (if the Raiders are smart), they should still dominate on special teams. Look for KC to average at least 8 more yards per return than Oakland.

3- The surprisingly decent Matt McGloin will get his fifth start today. Expect him to complete at least 58% of his passes, but also expect a KC defender, maybe Marcus Cooper, to bait him into an interception.

4- While McGloin has been mildly successful, Oakland's offensive line still struggles to keep him safe in the pocket. The Raider's O-Line has allowed the 5th-most sacks in the NFL. Expect Tamba to get at least one of at least 5 sacks on the Raider rookie QB today.

5- It would only make sense, in a frustratingly poetic kind of way, for the Chiefs to lose today. Regardless of their record and overall hopelessness, the Raiders are going to want this game bad. Beating their playoff-bound rivals in Oakland is probably the last thing the Raiders have to play for this season. However, that Thursday loss from Denver should be enough to keep KC playing hard and staying focused against inferior competition. Chiefs win, 30-17, and hope for that #2 seed stays alive for at least another week.

Doug LaCerte runs this blog and writes for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @DLaC67, send him your distasteful Raiders jokes on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.