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

Overall, how do you feel about this Oakland Raiders squad?

Fried: The Raiders have surprised everyone this year and even if they fall short of a postseason berth the season is a complete success. Most didn’t expect the Raiders to even hover around .500 let alone compete for a playoff spot this season and it’s hard not to be encouraged by the strides they’ve made. The rookie class has looked fantastic, the pass rush has improved significantly, and the offensive line has returned to its former glory.

We’ve seen newcomers such as Josh Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow, and Trent Brown become key pieces of the team and while the roster still has some holes, the Raiders are certainly further ahead than where many pegged them to be heading into the season. Regardless of how they finish, it’s been a fun year and it’s hard not to be excited about the future of Raiders football.

Is Carr this franchise’s quarterback of the future?

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1198070504692817920

Fried: That’s the million-dollar question right there. Derek Carr has become somewhat of a controversial figure in Oakland simply because people seem to have a very concrete opinion on him one way or another. Some view him as a bona fide top-10 quarterback who hasn’t been given a fair shake of things and is unquestionably the face of the franchise while others seem him as an overrated fringe starter to shouldn’t be considered the quarterback of the future.

Reality likely lies somewhere in the middle. Carr has his limitations but he’s a solid quarterback who, when given the right talent around him, can absolutely lead a team to the promised land. It’s currently unclear how management views him but his performance this season has helped his case and I think it’s very likely he leads this team into a new era in Las Vegas whether some fans like it or not.

Lastly, how does Sunday play out? Who wins, and what’s the final score?

Fried: Let’s not sugarcoat things here, the Raiders are the underdogs — and it’s by a sizable margin too. Fresh off an embarrassing blowout defeat at the hands of the previously 3-7 Jets, the Raiders have the unenviable task of traveling on the road to face a rested Chiefs team coming off a bye week. The Raiders have historically struggled in Arrowhead Stadium having not won there in six years while head coach Andy Reid has a career 17-3 record when returning from a bye week.

That’s not even mentioning the many injuries the Raiders have just the sheer talent gap between the squads. Kansas City should win this team, but a small part of me feels like the Raiders could shock the world and pull off the upset. But if we’re making smart gambles here, I’d say the Chiefs win this one by two scores: 35-24.

***

Again, a big thank you to Justin Fried of Golden State Sports for taking the time to talk about the Oakland Raiders before this match-up on Sunday afternoon. Make sure to check out his work over at Golden State Sports covering the Raiders and the rest of the Bay-area teams.