PLAYER NOTES
–WR Sammy Watkins did not practice on Wednesday. He’s continuing to nurse a foot injury suffered in Week 9 at Cleveland. He played just five snaps during the Week 11 Monday night game against the Rams.
–C Mitch Morse has cleared the league’s concussion protocol and returned to practice in a limited role on Wednesday. Head coach Andy Reid said the team remains pleased with the performance of backup Austin Reiter, and plans to work Morse back in slowly.
–RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has moved into the next phase of his rehabilitation, and head coach Andy Reid says there’s a possibility he could return from injured reserve later in the season. Duvernay-Tardif no longer has a cast on his left leg and no longer needs a scooter for mobility.
–LB Anthony Hitchens practiced in full on Wednesday but remains on the team’s injury report with a bruised rib he suffered in Week 8 against Denver. The issue doesn’t expect to impact his availability against Oakland this week.
–LB Dorian O’Daniel has solidified his role as the team’s dime linebacker and is often coming in for starter Reggie Ragland during passing downs. The rookie played a season-high 43 defensive snaps in each of his last two games.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: WR Chris Conley. Injuries have slowed Conley much of the past year, but the fourth-year receiver shows signs of returning to full strength, and he’s developing chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Conley picked up seven catches for 74 yards and two scores in his last outing against the Los Angeles Rams. When a play breaks down and Mahomes moves out of the pocket, Conley becomes an attractive target who can find open space.
GAME PLAN: Offensively, this game looks a complete mismatch in favor of the Chiefs. Andy Reid’s offense averages a league-best 7.05 yards per play, while the Raiders rank dead last allowing 6.54 yards per snap. The Raiders also allow a league-worst 151.4 yards rushing per game. A steady diet of Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware should tighten up the Raiders defense and allow quarterback Patrick Mahomes to find Tyreek Hill deep behind the secondary a couple of times. The Chiefs remain wary of last year’s 31-30 loss at Oakland, so don’t be surprised if the Chiefs look to build a big lead before letting up on the throttle late.
The Chiefs defense thrives on big plays, hoping for sacks and turnovers to slow down offenses. The Raiders rank tied for 27th in protecting the quarterback, so Derek Carr can expect a heavy rush off the edge from Justin Houston and Dee Ford with an interior push from Chris Jones along with the occasional blitz from defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. The Chiefs have proven susceptible at times on the ground, but the Raiders don’t muster much of a ground game. So long as Carr doesn’t beat the Chiefs safeties deep, this should be a comfortable game for Kansas City.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Chiefs DL Chris Jones vs. Raiders LG Kelechi Osemele and C Rodney Hudson. Jones has emerged as a one-man wrecking crew on the interior of the Chiefs defensive line with nine sacks in his last seven games. Most of his damage comes in the gap between left guard and center, and with both Osemele and Hudson battling injuries, the Raiders can’t afford to leave Jones in too many one-on-one matchups. The presence of Jones inside has also opened up opportunities for LBs Dee Ford and Justin Houston on the outside.
–Raiders CB Gareon Conley vs. Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill. If the Raiders hope to slow down the Chiefs high-powered offense, it starts with Conley matching up with Hill. Hill comes off the best two-game stretch of his career with 17 catches for 332 yards and four touchdowns during his last two games, both coming without Sammy Watkins on the opposite side of the offense.
