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As painful as it is to watch Tom Brady win his seventh Super Bowl, Las Vegas Raider fans can take solace in the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs got embarrassed in the biggest game of the year. The Chiefs were widely considered to be the best team in the NFL all season and there was little indication that there was a better team out there. Well, never discount a Tom Brady-led team.
Kansas City didn’t just lose, they got completely outclassed in a 31-9 blowout. It was the first time in Patrick Mahomes‘ career that his offense didn’t score a touchdown. It’s not necessarily surprising that Tampa Bay pulled off the win, but it is surprising how much they dominated the Chiefs. The Raiders and their fans have taken a beating from the Chiefs over the last several years so they had a lot of fun at the rival’s expense during and after the game.
While Raider fans were conflicted on which team to root for, it’s got to feel good to see the Chiefs the way that they did.
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Raiders Were Only Other Team to Beat Mahomes This Season
This is a massively disappointing end to an excellent season from the Chiefs. They went 14-2 and only lost one game in which Patrick Mahomes started. The Raiders were the one team to solve the Chiefs’ puzzle until the Buccaneers did it on Sunday.
The way to beat Kansas City is to create pressure with your defensive line. The Raiders were able to do that in Week 5 and won the game because of it. In the second matchup of the season in Week 11, Las Vegas couldn’t get after Mahomes and they lost. Tampa Bay has a vastly superior defensive line and the Chiefs had no answer. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles just gave the NFL the blueprint to beating Kansas City. Time will tell if it works on a consistent basis.
Raiders Need to Fix DL This Offseason
It’s no secret that Jon Gruden is obsessed with trying to beat the Chiefs. He’s made a lot of moves with them in mind. Based on the 2020 season, the Raiders have what it takes to beat Kansas City. In fact, they outscored them by four points in their two matchups.
The Raiders are a lot closer to getting to the top of the AFC West than the Chiefs would like to think. If they can fix their defensive line, the silver and black will be very competitive. Clelin Ferrell showed a lot more promise in 2020 and should still have a big role next season. Maxx Crosby led the team in sacks despite dealing with a number of injuries. The Raiders need to focus on adding an interior pass rusher. As of right now, they don’t have anybody who pushes the pocket from the inside. If they find a dominant defensive tackle, the defense will immediately take a big leap and make things very interesting against the Chiefs.
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