NFL Preview: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders Is a Battle for the West

It started on Sept. 16, 1960. A rivalry was born.

The silver and black led by head coach Eddie Erdelatz, took on the high-octane Dallas Texans.

The Texans won the AFL meeting 34-16, but the blood, sweat and tears had just begun.

The actual rivalry began in 1967 when the baseball team, the Kansas City Athletics were moved to Oakland to become the A's, while Kansas City was left to start an expansion team known as the Kansas City Royals.

With the distaste of the Kansas City fans, the fresh Kansas City Chiefs were looked at as the hammer to pound the city that took their baseball club.

A couple years later, the Chiefs and Raiders held their inaugural NFL debut together, and with the Chiefs leading late in the fourth quarter by a score of 17-14, quarterback Len Dawson looking to chew the clock ran up field just enough to achieve the first down.

After the play was over, Raiders defensive end Ben Davidson drove his helmet into Dawson as he was down on the field. In reprisal, wide receiver Otis Taylor assaulted Davidson, and as both teams had a bench-clearing altercation, the play from Dawson was nullified and the Raiders took the ball over and drove down field to kick a field goal to tie the game 17-17.

Due to NFL rules at the time, the game ended in a tie, which in conclusion gave Oakland the AFC West Championship at the end of the season.

Throughout the '70s, the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry has been vivid and malicious. And despite the fact that Oakland has been irrelevant since 2002, the Chiefs and Raiders' blood baths might be back.

With the "surprising" 5-2 start to the Chiefs 2010 season, they are a young team on the rise, and that can only improve over time. They have been obstructive when compared to the rest of the NFL. In a pass-heavy league, the Chiefs are on pace to set records that no one thought was conquerable in the ground game.

They currently hold a wide margin between themselves and the second place team for most rushing yards per game.

The problem might be that the second place team is the Oakland Raiders, who, led by Darren McFadden, is surging as of late after beating their last two opponents by a score of 92-17.

Kansas City squeaked out a win last week over the Buffalo Bills, and although it was not pretty, that is the type of team these Chiefs are. They don't care how they win, as long as they win.

Something more glaring on the Oakland sideline this weekend could be that the Chiefs haven't lost at the Coliseum since 2002. Which not by coincidence was the last time Oakland was a good team.

Sitting at 4-4 is a major accomplishment for the Raiders and their fans, and to say this season is bi-polar would be an understatement. They were beaten in San Francisco by a win-less 49ers team, and they took a loss to the depleted Arizona Cardinals, yet since those faults, the Raiders have turned on the heat.

They managed to rip apart a talented Chargers team and destroy the ailing Broncos 59-14.

Let's put this point-blank. Oakland has talent. It's a matter of putting it all together, not beating themselves, playing smart football and capitalizing on opponents' mistakes.

The Raiders of football past are well known for making undisciplined decisions during critical moments to lose a game.

And despite the evidence that head coach Tom Cable might be the most insubordinate "leader" in the NFL, the Raiders have managed to keep most of their prior mistakes to a limit this season.

As much as the Raiders (and their fans) might think they are a better team than the Chiefs, they are dead wrong.

You could point to quarterback Matt Cassel as the weak link along the Chiefs offensive lineup, yet even he has managed to boost a quarterback rating above 90. He's done everything asked of him to this point, and he takes care of the ball.

What more could you ask of a game manager?

The running game led by Jamaal Charles is on record-setting pace. Charles leads the NFL with an unthinkable 6.5 yards per carry.

On the other sideline, Darren McFadden is sitting with a spectacular 5.5 average, yet when you compare the two, Charles is better in nearly every aspect of his game.

And no, he's not a "scat back." So we can just end that stereotype before it begins.

Defensively for Kansas City, the Chiefs have playmakers all across the board beginning with lock-down corner Brandon Flowers, moving to the ultra-athletic Eric Berry and finishing with the best pass rusher in the NFL, Tamba Hali.

It will be no small task for the Raiders to move the ball on Kansas City. They might find a couple big plays if the Chiefs young secondary has a breakdown moment which has been a frequent problem.

But this is a defense that no one wants to mess with. They are opportunistic, and they find ways to make plays when big plays are needed.

Defensively for Oakland, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will more than likely be out, which will help open passing lanes for many Cassel-to-Bowe connections.

The Raiders defense can be caught out of position, but Cassel has to come through when called upon, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has to dictate and play the percentages better than he has previously.

This will be the biggest showdown between these two teams in over a decade. Although this game doesn't mean everything for the playoffs, it could have a lasting impact on the team that takes the loss.

The game that will determine the playoffs will go down on Jan. 2, 2011. If Oakland is a serious contender, they will have to win both games. They can't just get away with winning this one at home.

The Chiefs are a team that knows how to win. Their only losses have come to hands of the Indianapolis Colts and a last-second touchdown by the Houston Texans. Both teams are high quality opponents at home.

Kansas City is fighting for a playoff spot, and a win in Oakland will vault them into consideration for not only winning the AFC West but also gaining control of one of the top seeds in the AFC playoff race.