Kansas City Chiefs: Getting to know Oakland Raiders before week 13

What does Derek Carr need to do in order for Oakland to win on Sunday?

Fried: The Raiders offense relies heavily on the success of their ground game, but Derek Carr is quietly putting together a quality bounce-back season. Behind a much-improved offensive line and given a superb run game, Carr has flourished in his second year playing in Gruden’s offense.

To find success on Sunday, Carr must establish an early connection with tight end, and top receiving target, Darren Waller as the Raiders look to exploit a shaky Chiefs secondary. And while he’s done a good job avoiding turnovers this season, that’s a trend that must continue this week if the Raiders are going to find success.

What players on defense will be key to a Raiders victory against the Chiefs?

Fried: All eyes will be on the Raiders defense after a dud of an effort last week against the Jets. Unfortunately, they will be facing no easy task against Kansas City’s high-powered offense. I have my eye on rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby who should be matched up with All-Pro offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz in this one.

Crosby is just two weeks removed from a stellar four-sack performance and he notched another one last week against the Jets. And if not for a bogus roughing the passer call, he would’ve had another one. Crosby is quickly emerging as one of the better pass rushers in the AFC and he’s been an excellent find for general manager Mike Mayock in the mid-rounds. Look for him to make a splash play or two on Sunday.

Do you believe Oakland will reach the postseason?

Fried: In all honesty, the result of this game will have a huge impact on the answer to this question. If the Raiders could find a way to win, their chances of making the postseason increase exponentially — whether by virtue of winning the division or securing a wild-card spot. But if the expected happens and they fall to 6-6, all bets are off.

With games remaining against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos, it’s certainly possible the Raiders win three out of four and finish 9-7. But after what we saw last week, who really knows at this point.

Trying not to be a victim of the moment I’ll say the Raiders find a way to sneak in at 9-7 in a very weak AFC playoff picture. But they could easily finish 8-8 or worse given what we saw a week ago. I’ll have a more confident answer one way or another after this week.