The Oakland Raiders got back in the win column Sunday, and thrust themselves back into the AFC playoff picture in the process, beating the Tennessee Titans 24-21 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
The team now owns an overall record of 5-6 heading into a critical matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday at O.co Coliseum. As it stands, Andy Reid's team sits ahead of the Silver and Black in both the division, and maybe more importantly, the AFC Wild Card, meaning that the importance of Sunday's game can't be overstated.
However, before Sunday's kickoff against Alex Smith and Co., let's double-check our matchups of the week, brought to you by State Farm.
Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree vs. Cornerback Marcus Peters
Michael Crabtree, and the entire Raiders receiving corps as a whole, will have their hands full this week going against rookie cornerback Marcus Peters.
The No. 18 overall pick out of the University of Washington in this year's NFL Draft has more than lived up to the billing as a shutdown corner, and through 11 games he already leads the Chiefs with 4 interceptions.
If Derek Carr and the offense wants to build on their performance last week, Crabtree and the rest of the receivers will have to find a way to win their one-on-one matchups against Peters.
That won't be an easy task as the Oakland, Calif.,-native will want to deliver a quality performance, squaring off against his hometown team.
Defensive Tackles Justin Ellis and Dan Williams vs. Running Back Charcandrick West
The Chiefs lost All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles in mid-October, and after dropping four games in a row, many around the league wrote off Andy Reid's team.
However, as college football broadcaster Lee Corso likes to say, the Chiefs responded with a resounding, 'not so fast my friend,' rattling off five straight wins to insert themselves back into the AFC playoff picture.
One reason for their success of late is their sixth-ranked rush offense, spearheaded by running back Charcandrick West. West has played admirably in Charles' absence, rushing for a team-leading 373 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Although West did not play in the team's win over the Bills due to injury, he was a full participant in Wednesday's practice and is expected to play Sunday against the Silver and Black.
Head Coach Jack Del Rio has repeatedly said that the game is won in the trenches, and this week, the Raiders big men in the middle will have quite the task in trying to shut down West and the Chiefs rushing attack.
Cornerback David Amerson vs. Wide Receiver Jeremy Maclin
A battle between two players coming off career days.
Last week in Tennessee, Amerson looked like an All-Pro cornerback, recording an interception and a career-high 6 passes defensed in the win over the Titans.
Approximately 555 miles away, Maclin was putting together an impressive performance of his own, hauling in 9 catches for 160 yards and 1 touchdown in the Chiefs win over the Buffalo Bills.
Maclin leads the Chiefs in both receptions (57) and receiving yards (772), so shutting him down would pay huge dividends for the Raiders defense.
