After the first quarter of the season for the Silver and Black, the score is tied.
With the loss to Buffalo, the Raiders are .500 with a 2-2 record. They'll be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Bills in an enormous challenge against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.
Many fans expressed concern going into Sunday's matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champions. Considering the Chiefs have a half-billion dollar quarterback, trust me, I understand.
Hopefully, I was able to give some of you good answers on your even better questions. I think the Raiders are going to be ready to throw everything they got at the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. If anyone of you have any other questions, @theleviedwards is where I'm at.
Without further ado, let's dive into another one.
Lisa Vincent asks…
"What strategies do you have in place to follow through with touchdowns in the red zone?"
One thing that I noticed, much like Lisa, is that Raiders left a lot of points on the board in the red zone on Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders offense were consistently able to move the ball down the field on the Bills defense throughout the game. The issue is that on three separate drives to eat up the clock, the Raiders had to settle for field goals.
Daniel Carlson had a great performance kicking, and three points are definitely better than no points. However, if the Raiders could've scored touchdowns on these drives, they might have pulled out a win against the Bills.
In order for the Silver and Black to get touchdowns in the red zone it's imperative they stay disciplined and not commit the costly holding and illegal formation penalties they were called for against the Bills. These penalties moved the ball back during crucial times of the game — not to mention eliminating a Nelson Agholor touchdown. It's all about discipline.
Allen Longacre asks…
"I have same questions as every other team in NFL: how are we going to stop the KC Chiefs this week?"
*Insert Lil Uzi Vert 'Um I don't know' meme*
The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs are currently on a roll and have played stellar football on both sides of the ball up to this point in the season. The reason it's so difficult to stop the Chiefs is that someone always finds a way to step up and make a play, even if they don't have the momentum at the time. They are an extremely confident and fundamentally sound football team ran by a savvy coach in Andy Reid.
In order to stop the Chiefs, the Raiders will have to play their best football on both sides of the ball. Derek Carr must continue being accurate and smart with the football, as he's currently thrown for zero interceptions this week. The offense line will have to make sure they create space for Josh Jacobs and Alec Ingold to run and ram through the Chiefs' front seven.
The defense will also have to make sure Patrick Mahomes has an uncomfortable day. Mahomes is arguably the best quarterback in the league, and he can't be given time to make plays to his speedy receivers Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins.
If I'm Jon Gruden and Paul Guenther, I'm watching game film of the Chiefs' victory over the Chargers. The Chargers might have created a game plan to defeat the Chiefs, as Mahomes struggled against the pass rush of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram the majority of the game. If the duo of Salt-N-Pepa comprised of Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell can have a similar game, the Chiefs offense has the chance to be contained.
Jenn Curry asks…
"Why aren't we using Jason Witten more as a receiver?"
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson may have asked himself the same question after Witten's touchdown against the Bills.
Former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Jason Witten was used more against the Bills than he has most of the season. He caught two catches for 18 yards with a vital touchdown in the first half — then went in and blocked for the extra point.
Against Buffalo, Witten also reached the 13,000 career receiving yard mark, second for tight ends ever behind Tony Gonzales. Witten's performance proved that he is more than just a mentor and leader to the younger talent on the team. The 17-year veteran can still play.
As shown so far this season, teams are locking in on first-string tight end and Derek Carr's number one receiver Darren Waller. As Waller becomes more of a priority to defenses, expect Witten to come in the game and make catches when his number is called.
He's already caught over 1,200 catches since coming into this league, so it won't surprise me to see him catch a few dozen more.
