CARSON, CA – DECEMBER 22: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines in the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Chargersat Dignity Health Sports Park on December 22, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The Raiders are major underdogs against the Chiefs this week
Derek Carr put it best — this isn’t a rivalry until the Raiders actually beat Kansas City on a semi-consistent basis. The Chiefs and Raiders have a rich history full of tightly-contested games, but that recent history is very, very biased towards Kansas City. With Patrick Mahomes in tow, that is likely to continue on Sunday.
The Chiefs are 4-0 against the Raiders over the past two seasons. Gruden is desperate to get on the board against Kansas City, if only for personal pride. But he’s most concerned about the turnover ratio in those four games.
“We can’t turn the ball over,” Gruden said. “If you look at the turnover ratio in the four games since I’ve been back coaching against Kansas City, it’s almost embarrassing.”
Carr hasn’t done Gruden any favors in those four losses
In the two games last season, Carr has thrown six interceptions. He had only eight picks on the season, and basic math tells us that the Chiefs were responsible for half of those. If that trend continues on Sunday, the Raiders will be in big trouble. The Chiefs are tough enough to stop under normal circumstances. If Vegas gives Mahomes more opportunities, the result will not be pretty.
For now, Mahomes and the Chiefs would be appreciative just to get on the field at their normally-scheduled time. Last week, their game against the New England Patriots was moved from the Sunday afternoon slot to Monday night due to Cam Newton’s positive COVID-19 test.
Thus far, the Chiefs and Raiders are on schedule for Sunday. Turnovers or not, this game will be played. The Raiders hope its to Gruden’s liking.