Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders: Complete Week 12 Preview for Kansas City
Week 12 of the 2014 NFL season kicks off in Oakland when the Kansas City Chiefs look to extend their winning streak to six games. Although the Raiders are winless, Chiefs coach Andy Reid knows they can't be taken lightly, regardless of their record.
Following a 24-20 win over Seattle on Sunday, Reid wasted little time acknowledging the Raiders, referring to them as "a good Oakland team."
Given how good the Chiefs are as they continue to gain respect from the national media, a loss against a winless Raiders team would put a dent on how well they have played lately. They want to avoid letting that happen.
Kansas City has the hot hand, winning seven of its last eight games. Chiefs fans won't have to wait until Sunday to watch their team play again as Kansas City is set to return to action on Thursday Night Football against the Raiders in the Black Hole.
Week 11 Recap
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The Chiefs came away with another big win, this time beating the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 24-20.
Running back Jamaal Charles ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns, taking the football to the end zone in Kansas City's first two offensive drives. The most impressive part about Charles' performance is that he dominated against a top-10, aggressive run-stopping defense.
Although Seattle's rushing game, primarily led by Marshawn Lynch, ran for more than 200 yards, the Chiefs held the Seahawks to 20 points. Kansas City's defense forced a turnover on downs all three times the Seahawks went for it on fourth down.
The Chiefs limited the Seahawks throughout the game, allowing them to squeeze through with a narrow, hard-fought victory.
News and Notes
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Due to this being a short week for the Chiefs, there was little news surrounding the team. However, one topic dominated the discussion board this week.
Justin Houston's future and contract
Bleacher Report's own Jason Cole said earlier this week that the Kansas City Chiefs will sign outside linebacker Justin Houston to a long-term deal, but it's unknown when that will go down.
Since the start of training camp, general manager John Dorsey has signed four players to contract extensions. Surprisingly, Houston, who leads the NFL in sacks with 12, is not one of them.
Jason Avant available
The Carolina Panthers waived longtime Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport of NFL. Although he is 31 years old, the Chiefs should bring him in for a workout. Avant spent eight years in Philadelphia, and Reid was the head coach for seven of them.
Considering that the Chiefs lack talent at wide receiver and have yet to throw a touchdown pass to anyone at that position, the team should consider Avant.
Injury Report
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| Avery, Donnie | WR | Groin | DNP | LP | - | - |
| Fasano, Anthony | TE | Knee | LP | LP | - | - |
| Fleming, Jamell | DB | Hamstring | FP | FP | - | - |
| Fulton, Zach | OG | Ankle | FP | FP | - | - |
| Gaines, Phillip | CB | Ankle / Quad | FP | FP | - | - |
| Hali, Tamba | LB | Knee | LP | LP | - | - |
| Jenkins, A.J. | WR | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Kelce, Travis | TE | Ribs / Shoulder | FP | FP | - | - |
| McGlynn, Mike | G | Knee | LP | FP | - | - |
| Owens, Chris | CB | Knee | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Smith, Sean | CB | Groin | FP | FP | - | - |
With Donnie Avery still missing games and A.J. Jenkins continuing not to practice, Kansas City will continue to play with a limited set of available wide receivers. This makes it more likely that tight end Travis Kelce will rebound this week after two extremely quiet games. Going into Week 11, Kelce led the team in every key receiving category, but he has caught only five passes in the last two weeks.
Injury report courtesy of KCChiefs.com.
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Key Matchups and X-Factor
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RB Jamaal Charles and TE Travis Kelce vs. Raiders defense
Last time the Chiefs and Raiders played, Charles stole the show. Oakland struggled to stop Charles' breakaway speed, which allowed him to score five touchdowns. With Kelce, who has a lot of speed for a tight end, now part of the offense, how do the Raiders prepare for all the speed the Chiefs will throw at them?
In addition, the Chiefs have two scatbacks behind Charles on the depth chart in Knile Davis and De'Anthony Thomas.
The Raiders have allowed nearly 130 yards per game on the ground and 26.5 points per game as a defense. Charles will have a field day against Oakland. But given that he has viable backups to complement him, Kansas City's entire rushing game should see success.
When the Chiefs try to execute with a play action, Kelce could get wide open. If he does, he can do a lot of damage with the ball in his hands in the open field.
OLB Justin Houston vs. RT Khalif Barnes
Although Houston leads the NFL in sacks with 12, he faces a big challenge this week when he faces Khalif Barnes. According to Stats, LLC, Barnes has committed only one penalty and has given up just half of a sack.
This game makes for an intriguing matchup as it features the sack leader versus one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL. During this game, something has to give.
Houston has been quiet from a statistics standpoint, not registering a sack in the past two games. But beyond the stats, he continues to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
X-Factor: QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith has thrown only one interception after throwing three in Week 1's loss to the Tennessee Titans. Smith must limit his turnovers and remain accurate. Committing turnovers deep in Kansas City's own territory will hurt the team and possibly give the Raiders chances to take a big lead against their rivals and one of the best teams in the NFL.
Prediction
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With rookie quarterback David Carr under center, the Raiders have not captured a single win. The passing game ranks 26th, while the rushing attack is the worst in the NFL this season.
Kansas City's defense must continue its dominance and limit the Raiders offensively. The Chiefs have a strong front seven that can play well against the pass and stop the run.
Being that he is a rookie, Carr will have a hard time against Kansas City's pass rush.
Given Oakland's problems on defense, the Chiefs have an opportunity to do better in the passing game, which has not been a strength this year.
With the issues the Raiders have across the board, Kansas City can tack on some points early and run away with the game as it progresses. One of Kansas City's biggest strengths is controlling time of possession, which is generally accomplished by running the football. The Chiefs should have few problems doing so against Oakland.
Prediction: Chiefs 38, Raiders 13
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