Headed into their critical, Week 14 clash, the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are two teams trending in two, very different directions.
While the Silver and Black have won three of their past four, Andy Reid's group has lost five of its last six, and are now in a dogfight to stay atop the AFC West. Sunday's clash at Arrowhead Stadium is important in myriad ways for each team, and with just four games left on the regular season slate, there will certainly be a postseason feel come game time.
Headed into Kansas City, Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing's group will look to keep the positive momentum from the past two weeks rolling against a Chiefs defense that at times has struggled mightily in 2017.
Entering Week 14, the Raiders offense ranks No. 16 in the NFL, while the Chiefs defense ranks 30th in the league, allowing 382.2 yards per game. With wide receiver Michael Crabtree – and possibly Amari Cooper – back in the mix, Derek Carr and the Raiders aerial attack will look to take advantage of a Chiefs secondary that currently ranks 28th in the league, allowing 252.8 passing yards per game.
On the other side of things, the Raiders resurgent defense will look to slow down Alex Smith and the Kansas City offense, that even throughout the midst of their recent slide has managed to put up points.
The Chiefs average 25.3 points per game – good for sixth in the league – and after back-to-back strong outings under Assistant Head Coach – Defense John Pagano's group ranks 22nd overall in total defense (346 YPG), and 11th against the run where they allow just 104.9 yards per game.
Sunday's game at Arrowhead stadium is set to feature two teams that can put points up in a hurry, so keep an eye on how both the Chiefs and Raiders attack the defenses, both in the air, and on the ground.
Which Raiders will deliver Air & Ground worthy performances this season? Check nfl.com/fedex to find out, and vote for the weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week all season long.
