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For the first time this season, the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the division rival Las Vegas Raiders. Of course, recent AFC West games have been dominated by Kansas City under head coach Andy Reid. In games where Patrick Mahomes has been the quarterback, the Chiefs are 7-1 when facing the Raiders. To boot, Mahomes and the Kansas City offense have averaged 37.3 points per game in those contests.
So far, Kansas City has won three out of four games to open the 2022 season. The Raiders have been on the opposite end of the spectrum, however. Vegas has lost three out of four games so far. All three losses ended up being one-score games. Both Kansas City and Las Vegas have added new pieces to the offensive skill positions. All in all, neither group has fully reached expectations. Yet, the Chiefs have to be encouraged with what their top weapons did last week.
Which position battles could have the greatest impact on Sunday's outcome between the Chiefs and the Raiders? Today, we will list four key matchups that we have our eyes on entering Monday's game. Let's kick it off.
Raiders Wide Receivers Vs Chiefs Cornerbacks
It has been an up and down start for the Raiders wide receivers. Davante Adams has had some outstanding moments. Other times, he has failed to overpower defensive backs, especially when it comes to separation. That is rare to see from Adams. On top of that, the amount of times where he and quarterback Derek Carr have not been on the same page is quite alarming this early in the season.
It will be interesting to see if Hunter Renfrow returns to the lineup this week. He has missed the last two games, due to a concussion. In his absence, Las Vegas has seen Mack Hollins emerge. His size, vertical stretch ability and catch comfort in contested catch situations have been important for this Raiders offense. Other depth options like Tyron Johnson and Keelan Cole have failed to receive many opportunities. Thus, a Renfrow return and continued production from Hollins is crucial for Las Vegas.
The Chiefs may be giving up some explosive gains through the air. However, Kansas City has to be pleased with their body positioning and communication in coverage. There have been less blown coverages and missed assignments, compared to early season showings under Steve Spagnuolo in the past. Rookie Jaylen Watson and L'Jarius Sneed have been coming through in big time moments against the league's best pass catchers. Lastly, we also know the opportunistic ball skills that Rashad Fenton can apply against wide receivers that present size mismatches.
Chiefs Running Backs Vs Raiders Linebackers
As stated in our FPC Chiefs reaction article, last week may have been the Chiefs best rushing performance in two to three years. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is arguably enjoying the best stretch of his career to open this campaign. What improvements has he shown? Overall, the timing of waiting on blocks and hitting the hole with patience has been impressive. That is especially true, given the smaller size of Edwards-Helaire, compared to most other running backs.
Isiah Pacheco continues to come through when given chances. Simply put, the rookie product from Rutgers is unlike most recent Kansas City running backs, when it comes to his mix of power and speed. The challenges are endless for defenders attempting to bring him down. Defenses can be somewhat aided by his high-cutting rushing style. Nevertheless, Pacheco can create so many chunk gains by being able to run away or run over opponents.
As of this writing, it is uncertain if we see Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman this week. He returned last week after missing two games with an ankle injury. Though, that reemergence was cut short, as Perryman suffered a concussion in the matchup against the Denver Broncos. This linebacker room does not have the depth to survive without Perryman. Former Titan Jayon Brown is able to add serviceable instincts and lateral athleticism in space. Outside of that, Divine Deablo is still a work in progress. Vegas has very little name recognition at the position beyond that. If Perryman cannot go, sound tackling will be key for the Raiders in the front seven.
Waller Vs Reid And Thornhill
Darren Waller has had very little impact in the Vegas offense so far in 2022. The explosive gains we are used to seeing from him down the field are largely absent. Meanwhile, the Raiders have been unable to create much separation in the middle of the field. The same can be said when attempting to run underneath or crossing routes. When that occurs, Waller is unable to impose his size and strength at the catch point against defensive backs. The lack of rhythm that he has had is quite startling, to say the least.
This matchup against Waller could be mostly handled by safeties Justin Reid and Juan Thornhill. Reid has been able to showcase his versatility when defending the pass. While not the fastest athlete, he can flash into throwing lanes and take the pass catcher's leverage away. On the flip side, Thornhill has begun to get back to the necessary items that allow him to make plays on the football. His coverage spacing and depth has been more adequate than what he showed last season. Finally, Thornhill has been more dependable when the Chiefs need him to make a tackle immediately following a completion by the opposing offense.
Chiefs Wide Receivers Vs Raiders Cornerbacks
Even if it was not amazing in the box score, the Chiefs wide receivers found their groove last week. JuJu Smith-Schuster was able to dominate in the quick to intermediate passing game. With his understanding of sitting in zones and adjusting to the football, he becomes challenging to contain in the middle of the field. Could Smith-Schuster get an increase of routes over the middle against the Raiders?
Moreover, Marquez Valdes-Scantling was allowed to attack down the field more often. His ability to get on top of defenders and eat up their cushion is a game changer, especially when you factor in his quickness. The increase of snaps for Skyy Moore paid off in a major way. His quick cuts and separation quickness forces defenders to bail early. His strength at the catch point can open up so many other opportunities for the other Chiefs pass catchers as well. We saw some of that last week.
Amik Robertson has begun to come into his own for the Raiders. However, the depth of this Raiders cornerback room presents a major question mark, once again. Rock Ya-Sin has dealt with injuries and is looking to rebound. Surely, the multidimensional role that Nate Hobbs plays can be a boost to the Vegas defense. But overall, the Chiefs offer many differences when accounting for the variance to which they can create explosive plays.
Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.
– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.
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