The Kansas City Chiefs got back to their winning ways, defeating the Oakland Raiders 26-15. Kansas City looked more like they did the first five weeks of the season and have set themselves up for a huge game next weekend against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs take their 7-6 record into a Saturday night showdown next weekend.
Week Fourteen Kansas City Chiefs Takeaways
Still Lead Division
The biggest takeaway from week 14 is that Kansas City still leads the AFC West. The Chiefs currently have the same record as the Los Angeles Chargers, but do own a tie breaker thanks to a head-to-head victory in week three. Next Saturday, the Chargers visit Arrowhead in a game that will likely determine the division winner.
After the Chargers game, the Chiefs host the Miami Dolphins followed by a road trip to Denver to end the season. If Kansas City can beat the Chargers and the Dolphins over the next two weeks, then the team will wrap up its second consecutive AFC West Championship before Christmas.
Defense Steps Up
The Chiefs defense has had its up and downs all year, but today was clearly an up day for the unit. The Chiefs provided strong pressure throughout the day on Derek Carr and were able to amass four turnovers on the day. Until the fourth quarter, the Chiefs were pitching a shutout against an offense that was once thought to be one of the most explosive in the league. Obviously, this Raiders team has greatly underachieved this year, but considering how the defense played when these two teams met earlier in the season, it’s a huge improvement.
The secondary played exceptionally well despite being without All Pro cornerback Marcus Peters. The Chiefs young corners and recently signed veteran Darrelle Revis were able to keep Carr and company in check, particularly in the first half. Late in the game, the Raiders were able to target the Chiefs safeties and get some yardage and scores with their tight ends. This is something that could come in to play as soon as next week with Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry coming to town.
Running Game Returns
During the Chiefs 1-6 stretch, one of the biggest issues of contention from the fans and media was the lack of carries for rookie sensation Kareem Hunt. Andy Reid and Matt Nagy finally listened today. Hunt carried the ball 25 times today to the tune of 116 yards and a touchdown. Charcandrick West pitched in with three carries for 25 yards and another touchdown.
While the offensive line had some issues with pass protection, giving up four sacks, they were able to open holes up on the ground when it mattered. In the end, the Chiefs had 408 total yards of offense and controlled the ball for over 36 minutes. While it was not perfect in every facet for the offensive line, getting the running game going again could help the Chiefs win the division over the next couple weeks.
