Getty Jon Gruden with Andy Reid.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are two games removed from their last matchup but the two teams can’t seem to get each other off their minds. Whether it’s Clelin Ferrell taking a shot at the rival or Travis Kelce mentioning the Raiders after the win against the Denver Broncos, it’s clear the two teams don’t like one another. A lot of the animosity between the two teams stems from Las Vegas taking a “victory lap” around Arrowhead Stadium after they beat the Chiefs back in Week 5.
After this week’s win against the New York Jets, head coach Jon Gruden couldn’t help but throw a little shade at Kansas City.
“I thought about driving the bus around the stadium yesterday, but I didn’t want to get anybody alarmed,” Gruden said Monday.
He’s obviously poking fun at the fact that the Chiefs were so offended by the Raiders’ victory lap. While Kansas City still rules the AFC West with an iron fist, Las Vegas is turning the rivalry into one of the best in the NFL.
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Raiders Finding Ways to Win
It hasn’t always been pretty but the Raiders are 7-5 with a chance to make the playoffs. Out of their seven wins this year, five of them have been by one score. In Week 13, they were able to pull off another close win against New York. It would be nice to get some blowouts but Gruden is just happy his team is winning.
“We found a way to win at Carolina. It wasn’t pretty. We found a way to win on the last play of the game with instant replay against the Chargers,” Gruden said. “We found a way to win against the Jets. And I’m sure it doesn’t please all the people that are analyzing games like I used to, but I could care less.”
The Raiders have been NFL-bottom feeders for most of the last two decades. They can’t complain too much after winning close games. However, it would be nice to see the team dominate bad teams. Super Bowl teams don’t usually have to beat a winless team on one of the last two plays of the game.
Raiders Can’t Afford Another Dud
The Raiders are fortunate that they were playing the Jets in Week 13. Against any other team in the NFL, they very likely lose that game. Their schedule will now get a bit harder in two of the next three weeks. This Sunday, they welcome the Indianapolis Colts to Las Vegas.
They are 8-4 right now and hold one of the Wild Card spots the Raiders are vying for. If the Raiders play as they did against the Jets, they are going to get blown out. This game would be a great way for the team to prove that the last two games were a fluke. A win against the Colts would be massive for a number of reasons.
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