With the Kanas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes about to take part in the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders are going to have to face the reality that they’re going to be faced with a monumental task for years to come. Beating Mahomes isn’t easy. He can put 28 points faster than any quarterback in recent memory. No lead is safe from the young quarterback.
The Raiders have had a front-row seat to Mahomes’ greatness more often than they would like, but they’re going to have to figure him out if they hope to win the division over the next decade. In an interview with Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Raiders owner Mark Davis didn’t mince word when talking about the Chiefs quarterback.
“Obviously, the Chiefs are the team we haven’t been able to beat in the division lately,” Davis said. “It’s one of the reasons we drafted edge rushers in (Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby) last year. We need more of them. We need another guy up the middle against Mahomes. We need linebackers to hold the edge. We need guys who can cover (Chiefs tight end) Travis Kelce and all their speed outside.
“Patrick Mahomes is unlike anyone else — he’s the monster now — and we need to improve all our phases of defense to deal with him.”
The Raiders are 2-12 against the Chiefs since 2013. Even when the team has been good, they still struggle against Kansas City.
Davis Believes the Raiders Are ‘Close’
The main reason the Raiders have had such a hard time against the Chiefs is because of the talent differential. Kansas City has playmakers all over the roster and one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Andy Reid to lead them. The Chiefs give every team a hard time, not just the Raiders. That said, Davis thinks his team is on the right path to slay the giant.
“They’re just tough,” Davis said. “Their offense is incredible. I believe (Gruden and Mayock) will build a defense to get the job done. The second total disintegration of our team under me came when we brought back (Gruden) as coach in 2018. We changed a lot of things with our roster. But now, I believe we’re close to making this thing sustainable and competing for the division and playoff runs.
“No question, our goal and next step is to win the division and get a home playoff game, which is critical. Right now, that means beating Kansas City. I believe we’re close. I really do.”
The Raiders may have gotten blown out by the Chiefs twice in 2019, but they’re a young team that still has a lot of room to grow. Las Vegas has a lot of work to do on defense if they’re going to compete against Kansas City, but the offense has also struggled against the team.
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Can Derek Carr Win in Kansas City?
A question the Raiders need to ask themselves this offseason is: Can Derek Carr beat the Chiefs in Kansas City? So far, he hasn’t proved that he can. In 12 career games against the Chiefs, Carr is 2-10 with both wins coming in Oakland. No matter how much he improves over the years, that’s a problem. The Raiders aren’t going to win the AFC West if they can’t beat the Chiefs.
Even when Carr almost won the NFL MVP in 2016, he put up two losses against Kansas City. While the quarterback could certainly blame lack of talent for the struggles of the last two seasons, he never proved he could consistently beat the Chiefs when he had a strong wide receiver corps and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Carr is not a bad quarterback by any means and he may still be the best option the Raiders have for 2020. However, he needs to figure out why he struggles against the Chiefs and fix it. It’s up to him to figure it out because he’s head four different head coaches since coming into the NFL and his struggles against Kansas City haven’t changed.
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Raiders’ Mark Davis Drops Revealing Comments About Patrick Mahomes