The Las Vegas Raiders fell short of pushing the game to overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs as the Silver and Black fell 30-27 in Week 4 on Oct. 4 at Allegiant Stadium.
One reason that the Raiders are 3-1 and not 4-0 is Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III. The Super Bowl LX MVP recorded 22 carries for 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as the Las Vegas defense has no answer to stop Walker on the ground.
On the Oct. 6 edition of “The Rush With Maxx Crosby,” Raiders Star Maxx Crosby shared his thoughts on Walker’s performance as the team will see him later in the season at Kansas City.
“[Walker is] leading the league in rushing,” Crosby said. “He’s doing his thing, and he’s a hell of a back. I played him once before in ’22 in Seattle, and it’s funny looking back at that time, on the outside, the world didn’t really view him as one of the top backs, and I remember talking to the guys on the sideline like, ‘This motherf—-r’s toting that s–t.’ He’s quick, he’s strong, he has great vision, and he’s patient.
“He’s got all of it. He’s one of the best backs in the league to me, not even a question. So, yeah, he makes your job more difficult. You’ve got to be on point and really tackle. And, yeah, it was a great pickup for them for sure.”
Kenneth Walker III Adds New Element to Chiefs’ Offense
Moreover, Crosby noted that the rushing yards no longer have to be on Patrick Mahomes‘ shoulders, as the Raiders’ defense saw firsthand in Week 4 and will need to make note of for when they meet again later this season.
“[Walker] adds another element to their offense,” Crosby added. “I feel like they didn’t necessarily commit to the run game in the past. Ever since I’ve really been in the league, it’s been a lot on Pat’s shoulders. But when you add a running back of his caliber, and you trust and actually commit to the run game, it makes it difficult for defenses.”
Patrick Mahomes Gives Major Respect to the Raiders
Although Walker went off on the ground for nearly 200 rushing yards, the Raiders defense did their best in trying to keep Mahimes in check. The Chiefs’ QB went 15-for-30 on his pass attempts for 225 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of 97.2. After the win, Mahomes credited the Raiders with being a major challenge.
“That’s a good football team,” Mahomes told reporters postgame. “First off, defensively, they got a lot of veteran guys that came over to add to the talent they had. The D-line, the linebackers, and then the secondary all were playing together and really getting us off the field a lot of the time. We had some explosive plays there, especially toward the end, that really helped us. But that’s a really good football team.”
It will be interesting to see if these two teams can stay on par with each other as the campaign goes along to ensure their final meeting of the season can potentially be for the AFC West division.
Maxx Crosby Has Message for Kenneth Walker III After Raiders Loss