The Oakland Raiders will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in a pivotal AFC West contest. Here are five matchups that could decide the outcome .
The Oakland Raiders will host the Kansas City Chiefs in a primetime AFC West game on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. This will be the third consecutive home game for the Raiders, who have lost the first two as part of their four-game losing streak after starting the season 2-0. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are coming off of their first loss of the season as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated them 19-13 at home.
If the Raiders want to get back to the playoffs, they will desperately need a win in this game if they want to get their season back on track. Here are five positional matchups that Oakland will need to win to come away with a victory over the Chiefs.
5. Donald Penn vs. Dee Ford
The Raiders offensive line was considered to be one of the best units in the NFL before the season started but has been struggling throughout the year in both run and pass situations. Oakland’s offensive line has already allowed Derek Carr to be sacked nine times this year, despite the fact that he missed the fourth quarter of the Week 4 and all the Week 5.
At this pace, Carr is projected to finish the season with 28 sacks. That would be the second-most of his career, aside from 2015 when he was sacked 31 times. Carr is being sacked on 6.1 percent of plays when attempting to pass, which is the highest percentage in his entire career.
Donald Penn is not only the best player on the offensive line but also has the most important role of protecting the quarterback at the left tackle position. On Thursday night, Penn will be tasked with guarding Dee Ford, one of Kansas City’s best pass rushers. Ford recorded a sack on Sunday in his first game since Week 3 after missing time due to a hip injury. Additionally, Ford has four career sacks against this Raiders team, including two on the road in Oakland last season.
The Raiders offense is struggling to find a rhythm this season and Carr getting sacked constantly is only making matters worse. If Penn struggles to keep Ford out of the backfield it will set Oakland at a major disadvantage to win this game. Not only are sacks obviously bad for an offense but pressure would also cause Carr to make hasty throws that could easily lead to multiple interceptions against a talented Chief secondary.