PLAYER NOTES
–QB Derek Carr, who got off to a choppy start in head coach Jon Gruden’s offense, has led the Raiders to two victories in their last three games and three of the last six after a 1-8 start. Carr has completed 357 of 520 passes for 3,864 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but has not thrown an interception his last 325 throws over 10-plus games. He needs 78 more without a pick to set a NFL record, which could possibly come early next season.
–WR/KR Dwayne Harris was selected AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Harris returned two punt returns for 106 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown that got the Raiders off to a 7-0 start in a 27-14 victory over the Denver Broncos. He also had two kickoff returns for 46 yards and one special teams tackle. Harris’ punt return is the longest in Raiders history and tied for the second-longest in NFL history. Harris also made two key blocks that prevented the ball from being downed deep in Raiders territory, both punts resulting in touchbacks.
–Jon Gruden will be seeking the 100th regular-season victory in his NFL career as a head coach in the NFL on Sunday in Kansas City. Gruden is 99-92 in 12 seasons with the Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He holds the Buccaneers’ record with 57 victories in the regular season and coached the Buccaneers to a 48-21 victory over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.
–C Rodney Hudson was drafted by Kansas City in the second round (55th overall) of the 2011 draft out of Florida State and spent four years with the Chiefs from 2011-2014, playing in 51 games with 35 starts. Since coming to Oakland, Hudson has developed into one of the best centers in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017, and being named as an alternate this season. Despite his own nagging injuries, Hudson has held the Raiders’ injury-plagued offensive line together this season.
–WR Jordy Nelson started slowly with the Raiders this season after signing as a free agent with Oakland after being released by the Green Bay Packers. Part of that was because of injury, in addition to the fact that the Raiders as a whole took time to digest and understand head coach Jon Gruden’s offense. However, Nelson has caught 29 passes for 308 yards in the last four games, giving him 54 receptions for 661 yards and three touchdowns this season.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Doug Martin. The speculation is that Marshawn Lynch won’t be back next year and Martin, who has been starting since Lynch went on the injured reserve list early this season, last week made his strongest statement yet to continue as the Raiders’ starting running back next season. Martin, who is working on a one-year contract, rushed for 107 yards on 21 carries, including a 24-yard touchdown run around right end in the second quarter that helped power the Raiders to a 27-14 victory over the Denver Broncos. The 29-year-old Martin, who was born in Oakland and played at St. Mary’s High in nearby Stockton and Boise State, twice rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This year, he leads the Raiders with 623 yards on 151 yards and four touchdowns.
GAME PLAN: A repeat of what Oakland did against Denver is needed in Kansas City, on both sides of the ball. Although the Raiders were not spectacular, they definitely were efficient in their victory over the Broncos, with Derek Carr completing 19 of 26 passes for 167 yards without a touchdown or an interception (for the 10th consecutive game), while Doug Martin rushed for 107 yards on 21 carries and a 24-yard touchdown. That allowed the Raiders to hold the ball for much of the last three quarters and they will have to do the same to keep the ball away from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the explosive Kansas City offense.
Despite missing three starters, including cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Daryl Worley, because of injuries, the Raiders were able to shut down quarterback Case Keenum and the Denver offense on their way to a 17-0 halftime lead. That was their biggest lead of the season. After Keenum threw two touchdown passes in the second half, Oakland shut down the Broncos’ rally with interceptions against Keenum in the fourth quarter by safeties Marcus Gilchrist and Erik Harris. The Raiders need the same type of performance against the Chiefs, but the trio of Mahomes, Kelce and Hill present a much bigger challenge.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Raiders CB Nick Nelson and Rashaan Melvin vs. Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill. The Raiders were able to hold Hill to one catch for 13 yards, his lowest output in a season in which he has made 82 receptions for 1,378 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of course, it was a combination of things that included a dropped pass by Hill, a few misfires by QB Patrick Mahomes and, yes, a good combination of coverages by the Raiders. However, Oakland played without starting CBs Gareon Conley (concussion, still limited in practice early this week) and Daryl Worley (shoulder, placed on injured reserve) against the Broncos last week and backups Nelson and Melvin will have to take it up another notch against Hill. With only 14 more yards, Hill will break the franchise record of 1,391 yards receiving in a season set by Derrick Alexander in 2000.
–Raiders TE Jared Cook vs. Chiefs S Eric Berry and the KC secondary. Cook has had a career season, becoming Derek Carr’s favorite receiver with 65 catches for 868 yards and six touchdowns. Against the Chiefs earlier this season, he caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. However, Berry, a three-time All-Pro selection who has been picked for the Pro Bowl five times, didn’t play in that game. He sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the 2017 season opener and didn’t return until the Chiefs’ game in Week 15. This should be quite a battle when they are matched up one-on-one.
