The Kansas City Chiefs will look for their third consecutive 2-0 start this Sunday as they travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders.
Here are two Chiefs players, one on each side of the ball, to keep an eye on.
Offense – WR Mecole Hardman
With receiver Tyreek Hill out for possibly up to six weeks, Hardman will be the next man up. There’s also Demarcus Robinson, but Hardman is a much more similar player to Hill. Hardman ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the second-fastest time among all receivers.
We got a glimpse of his speed during the preseason. In the video below you can see his impressive acceleration on a jet-sweep that goes for a touchdown.
The Raiders defense will certainly be keying in on receiver Sammy Watkins after his dominant Week 1 performance. Tight end Travis Kelce torched Oakland in both games last season for a combined 17 catches, 230 yards and two touchdowns. This should open things up for Hardman.
Last week Hardman saw just one target, which he dropped. Coach Andy Reid will almost certainly be looking to scheme him up and get him going in the offense. Look for Hardman to lineup both on the boundary and in the slot, as well as in the backfield.
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Defense – DL Chris Jones
Jones was quiet in Week 1, recording just one tackle. The Raiders will look to pound the ball with their power running game and build off of it with play-action. If the Chiefs are going to disrupt the flow of the Oakland offense, Jones will need to be a busy man.
The Chiefs need Jones to cause disruption in the backfield with tackles for loss and sacks. Stretching the field is a weakness for quarterback Derek Carr, so putting the Raiders in long-yardage situations will be a recipe for success for the Kansas City defense.
Oakland is without its two starting guards, Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson, providing an opportunity for Jones to get some push and fill some gaps. The past two games Jones has played against Oakland, he’s accounted for seven total tackles, 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and four QB hits.
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