KC 7 OAK 14
Welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' divisional rivalry and a must-win matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs where the Raiders have a 7-14 advantage at the half in this critical game.
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Defense. The Chiefs have not turned the ball over since the Vikings game. Alex Smith knows how to escape out of the pocket. The Raider defense managed to get 2 turnovers against the Chiefs and 3 sacks on Smith. The Charles Woodson forced fumble on Travis Kelce for the Raiders to take the lead was huge. The Chiefs taking the lead would've foreshadowed bad news ahead of the game, but a turnover was needed, make that 2. The sacks were big as well, Khalil Mack now has 9.5 sacks of the season, just half a sack away from reaching double digits, Mario Edwards, Jr. continues to prove us wrong and living up to 2nd round pick expectations, and Ben Heeney saw some action too. The pass rush is doing its job as well, especially given how Alex Smith is so mobile.
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Bill Musgrave's playcalling. Good offensive playcalling on the opening drive and then after that, Musgrave decided just to fold and play conservatively. That lackluster 2nd quarter offense until Carr's pass to Michael Crabtree to cash in on the turnover all falls on Musgrave. In one possession, a screen pass to Cooper, he didn't have time to juke because Tamba Hali was already in his face for a huge loss, run up the middle with Murray for just a minimal gain, check down to Mychal Rivera, quick 3 and out. That's just one particular example. He needs to open up the playbook more or give Carr more creative control.
Bottom Line
The defense is playing hard out there and they're holding their own against Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense. Meanwhile, the Raiders' offense has to wake up a little, better yet Musgrave needs to open up the playbook. Turn back the clock to weeks 6-8 and just let Carr and this offense loose! Let's see what happens.
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