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The Kansas City City Chiefs have proved to be vulnerable on offense this season. That’s why Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones had a viral quote ahead of the Chiefs-Raiders Christmas Day game that oozes confidence.
“We’re not worried about ’em,” Jones said on December 21 when asked about Kansas City’s receiver room, via Raiders reporter Levi Edwards. “It’s Patrick Mahomes we gotta stop… the magician. [If] you stop the magician, then the act is over.”
Jones’s confidence stems from what he’s seen from the Chiefs’ passing game this season, which includes a league-high 37 drops from Kansas City’s pass-catchers.
Though the Chiefs’ passing game looked good during the team’s 31-17 win over the Raiders on November 26, there’s no guarantee that it will be as effective this time around based on the offense’s inconsistencies this season.
Chiefs Had Slow Start vs. Raiders But Found Footing
After sputtering out consistently on offense in the first quarter, the Chiefs’ offense found success during the final three quarters of their win against the Raiders in Week 12.
In that game, Mahomes completed 27-of-34 pass attempts for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. The leading receiver for Kansas City was rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice, who caught 8-of-10 targets for 107 yards and 1 touchdown. Tight end Travis Kelce was next in the receiving box score with 6 catches for 91 yards. The leading rusher for the Chiefs was running back Isiah Pacheco, who ran the ball 15 times for 55 yards and scored twice on the ground.
The Chiefs’ defense seemed a bit off when compared to the unit’s recent performances at that point in the season; the defense didn’t force any turnovers, gave up a 50% third-down conversion percentage, and allowed Raiders rookie QB Aidan O’Connell to complete 69% of his pass attempts, per ESPN. Yet Kansas City’s defense only surrendered 17 total points, which is all that mattered in the end.
Sitting with a 9-5 record in a tight AFC playoff race, the Chiefs need to win out the remainder of the regular season to ensure they have a spot in the playoffs. Winning all three of their remaining regular season games also gives them a shot at obtaining the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which comes with a first-round bye.
Despite Las Vegas having a 6-8 record and on the cusp of being eliminated from playoff contention (currently have a 2% chance of making the playoffs, per the New York Times), the Chiefs cannot take their division rival lightly on Christmas Day. If Kansas City loses that game, then it will make the AFC playoff race even tighter.
After their Christmas Day game against the Raiders, the Chiefs round out the regular season with matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers.
Christmas Day NFL Schedule
The NFL has scheduled three games for Christmas Day this year. The Chiefs and Raiders kick off the slate of games at noon Central time at Arrowhead Stadium, and that game can be watched on CBS. Next is the New York Giants at the Philadelphia Eagles at 3:30 p.m., with the game available to watch on FOX. Lastly, the Baltimore Ravens travel to face the San Francisco 49ers at 7:15 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN+.
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