Are you ready for some Chiefs football?
Like the past three seasons, the Chiefs Wire staff will offer its weekly predictions for each Chiefs game. Here are our picks for Kansas City’s Week 2 matchup against the Oakland Raiders.
Charles Goldman’s pick: Chiefs win 36-30
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @goldmctNFL
I locked in this prediction before the Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill and before the Raiders lost Johnathan Abram. Even with those departures I still feel pretty confident that this game will be much closer than people are anticipating. The Raiders have better personnel than they had a year ago, and the Chiefs only came out as seven-point victors in that game.
I think the Chiefs jump out to a lead quickly and the Raiders regain some ground as the game progresses. In the end, the Raiders will be tasked with keeping up with the Chiefs, and I’m not sure they’re going to be able to do that just yet.
Wesley Roesch’s pick: Chiefs win 38-27
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @WesleyRoesch
The Raiders and their fans are going to be pumped for this game. It’ll be high-energy and, as the Chiefs are still figuring out their new defensive identity, could be closer than people expect.
The problem for Oakland is that the Chiefs are a much better team. Even if Kansas City’s defense completely stinks things up, I ultimately don’t see Derek Carr winning a shootout against the 2018 NFL MVP. I think this one stays close for the majority of the game with the Chiefs pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Nicolas Roesch’s pick: Chiefs win 34-20
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @Nicolas_Roesch
The Raiders are an improved team from last season, but is that really saying much? Improved or not, they’re not on the level of the Chiefs. Oakland will give Kansas City it’s the best shot in the first quarter, but the relentlessness of the Chiefs’ offense will put too much pressure on quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr and the Raiders offense will begin to press, then the mistakes will come. Watch out for Chiefs’ rookie receiver Mecole Hardman. With Tyreek Hill out, I have a feeling coach Andy Reid will be looking to scheme him up and get him flowing within the offense.
John Dillon’s pick: Chiefs win 31-25
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @TheJohnDillon
As Kansas City prepares to play in Oakland for the last time, it’s important to note the value both teams will place on this game. The Chiefs have built their astounding record against AFC West opponents largely on huge wins against middling Raiders teams since Andy Reid took the reins, and all predictions suggest they’ll continue their dominance.
Even with a key cog in the offensive machine sidelined, their biggest contributors from the win in Jacksonville are set to take their momentum into week two. Expect Travis Kelce to see a higher volume of targets with Mahomes coming off a game where he was briefly sidelined. Kansas City is likely to employ more quick passes this week and should look to establish more of a run game to keep their quarterback clean.
Jon Gruden, to his credit, won the Raiders’ first game (against the Broncos) and seems to have moved past whatever it is that has happened to Antonio Brown the past month. For that, he and the Oakland Raiders can be proud, even if they’re destined to lose one of the last ever games in one of the NFL’s most venerated stadiums.
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Vinciane Ngomsi’s pick: Chiefs when 31-20
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @VincianeNgomsi
The Raiders put up a convincing fight against the Broncos Monday, but the Chiefs will still handle them. After all, they put up 40 points against the Jaguars without Tyreek Hill and a gimpy Patrick Mahomes. I would love to see LeSean McCoy used more. He’s inching to make a point that Andy Reid was right to bring him on and this might be his statement game.
If the defense can consistently stop Oakland’s offense, this might be a confidence boost for them. The Chiefs don’t like the Raiders, and the rivalry will show more in the defense than the offense. Let’s hope that’s enough to rattle Derek Carr and generate some points from turnovers.
Danilo Di Julio’s pick: Chiefs win 49-21
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @ThunderDan88
Raider week comes early this year with a Week 2 matchup in the Black Hole. Last week saw Patrick Mahomes play a terrific game, passing for 378 yards and three touchdowns while completing over 75% of his passes on his way to a 143.2 passer rating, all despite an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Derek Carr was dealing like a sniper against another division rival in the Denver Broncos. Carr completed over 84.6% of his passes, missing on just four while posting a strong 121 passer rating. However, he was limited to 259 yards and a single touchdown pass.
Those key differences, yards and scores through the air, are the keys to why the Chiefs will win this game in a route. The Raiders’ Week 1 win came versus the most pedestrian looking defense the Broncos have fielded in years. Meanwhile, though the hurricane veered clear of Jacksonville, the Chiefs offense weathered the storm that is the Jaguars defense and put up 40 points.
Hill’s absence this Sunday, though not ideal, shouldn’t slow the ridiculous depth of speed players wearing red and gold. The Raiders, on the other hand, have lost hard-hitting safety Johnathan Abram for the season.
The Oakland secondary will lose this track meet and be anxious to put a double-digit loss behind them. The Chiefs will end their storied series versus the Raiders in California with a 49-21 victory.
Talon Graff’s pick: Chiefs win 34-21
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @CoachGraff34
The Chiefs and Raiders are usually competitive with each other regardless of records. This is an early edition of Raider Week, so both teams sit 1-0 on the year. The Chiefs should outmatch their most hated division rivals in just about every facet of the game. However, the final game between the Chiefs and Raiders in Oakland may not be a cakewalk. Everyone by now is well aware that Antonio Brown no longer plays for Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, but another Brown does. Trent Brown’s addition at right tackle vastly improves the Raiders offensive line. Derek Carr had a clean pocket all Monday night against Denver, and he took full advantage of it. The Chiefs will have to get to Carr and disrupt this offense. This means they have to outperform Brown.
The offense will be without Tyreek Hill, but there are plenty of other names who could fill the void. It will actually most likely take a bunch of other names. Be on the lookout for Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson to be more involved. LeSean McCoy could also see an increased role in the run game to alleviate Hill’s absence. Of course, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce will be there.
Kevin Scott’s pick: Chiefs win 41-28
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @KevinScottFF
I believe this game in Oakland will be a fun one. I foresee a shootout, as the Raiders offense is much improved, while the Chiefs defense does not appear to have made strides yet under Spagnuolo. I think they will target Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller with success, and that Josh Jacobs will be able to run the ball quite well on the Chiefs’ front.
On the offensive side for the Chiefs, Mahomes should be limited with a sore ankle, but that should not limit the team’s productivity. Reid will likely dial up some new plays that include misdirection to keep the defense guessing and will work to get the ball out of Mahomes’ hands quickly so he avoids more hits. Look for rookie receiver Mecole Hardman to take a long reception for a touchdown. I also believe Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce will have huge games against a Raiders secondary that are already banged up. They may be without Gareon Conley after he suffered a neck injury, and rookie Johnathan Abram was lost to a torn rotator cuff.
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Ed Easton’s pick: Chiefs win 42-35
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @EdEastonJr
The Oakland Raiders rivalry adds another classic chapter, and this game will provide plenty of action offensively. Both teams will put points, but the Chiefs will eventually be too much for the silver and black to handle. Andy Reid will get the better of his friend Jon Gruden, and Patrick Mahomes will continue his hot play with no ankle worries throughout.
Sammy Watkins will have a more conservative game compared to last week, while Mecole Hardman will get a chance to showcase his speed. The running back combination of LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams will have a nice game against the Raiders defense, with each scoring a touchdown. Frank Clark will cause a significant turnover to end the game and seal another Chiefs victory.
Mitch Carney’s pick: Chiefs win 38-17
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @MitchMitchcar11
This is a very interesting matchup for the Chiefs as they add another game to their rivalry against the Raiders. I’m expecting the Chiefs offense to still be dynamic even without Tyreek Hill. They should be able to get enough production from their other wide receivers, especially Mecole Hardman, who I expect to have a big impact in this game.
On the defensive side of the ball, I feel the Chiefs should have a big game after struggling against Gardner Minshew and Jaguars last week. Steve Spagnuolo has been showing the defense videos of big hits between the Raiders and Chiefs from previous years, so expect to see the defense fired up and bring the Raiders back down to earth.
Max Ramsey’s pick: Chiefs win 45-17
Season record: 1-0
Twitter: @The_Wild_Chief
Even with the Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver out and their star quarterback hobbled, Kansas City managed to put up 40 points on a tough, aggressive Jacksonville defense. I expect to see the trend continue on Sunday in the Chiefs’ final trip to Oakland.
The offense will continue to roll with Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce in the passing game, while an expanded role for LeSean McCoy helps keep the time-of-possession battle in Kansas City’s favor. I also expect the defense of the Chiefs to step up and resemble more of what fans expected for the season after an odd game that saw an unexpected quarterback at the helm for the Jaguars and very hot, humid weather pushing the Chiefs to play a relatively basic defense.
Oakland will struggle early on to get points on the board and get stuck trying to play catch-up, resulting in a reduced role for rookie running back Josh Jacobs. Derek Carr will try to force some throws in an attempt to keep up with the high-scoring offense of the Chiefs.
