Grading how the Raiders match up against the Chiefs

By MikeBullock  |   Friday, November 13, 2009  |  Comments( 4 )

Oakland Raiders
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When the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs meet this Sunday, it will be the 102nd time the two teams have collided, with the Chiefs holding a seven game edge at 53-46-2. While Oakland was won three of the last four matchups, Kansas City hasn’t lost in Oakland their last six visits to the bay area. Both teams are classically underachieving which means this one could easily go either way.

While “on paper” matchups are rarely the determining factor in wins and losses in divisional play, since you never know which team is going to show up with these two, going to the grades is the best way to try and determine a winner for Sunday.

Quarterback- advantage Kansas City. Matt Cassel may not be Tom Brady, but he’s closer to that end of the scale than he is to JaMarcus Russell, arguably the worst signal caller in the league.

Running Backs – advantage Oakland. After the dismissal of all-pro turned pain in the neck Larry Johnson, the Chiefs no longer have a clear cut lead back. The remaining guys on the roster aren’t bad, but Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden have the edge.

Wide Receivers – advantage Kansas City. Face it, Dwayne Bowe by himself is superior to the Raiders entire WR corps. Add Bobby Wade, the Vikings number one pass catching threat from last season and the Chiefs receivers seem downright unbeatable compared to the Raiders bunch.

Offensive Line – advantage Oakland. Despite the passing and rushing stats to the contrary, Kansas City loses this one. Blame it on the AFC worst sack total, which stands at thirty. It’s hard to make it to the Pro Bowl as an o-lineman when your QB is dirty every game.

Defensive Line – advantage Oakland. Richard Seymour and Greg Ellis (who may not play) alone swing this one the Raiders’ way.

Linebackers - advantage Kansas City. Mike Vrabel and Derrick Johnson are superior players to Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. Neither is fond of arm tackling and Vrabel has made a career out of never being out of position. Had Morrison and Howard spent some time under Dick Lebeau, maybe things would be different, but Rob Ryan didn’t do them any favors.

Defensive Backs – advantage Oakland. This one is almost a wash, but Nnamdi Asomugha is better than any two members of the Chiefs’ secondary.

Kicking – advantage Oakland. Janikowski and Lechler are two of the best in the business.

Return game – wash. This could go either way. Bobby Wade has done some damage but so has Johnnie Lee Higgins. The first one to blink, loses.

Based on the grades, Oakland wins in five of the nine areas. What remains to be seen is if they can win in the only area that counts on Sunday: McAfee Coliseum.
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