For most of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Las Vegas Raiders have been bottom-feeders. The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the AFC West, and they've been particularly good against the former Oakland inhabitants.
Mahomes has a 14-2 record against the Raiders, and he just added another win to his tally in Week 4. That said, it was a hard-fought battle against arguably the best Raiders team No. 15 has had to face since he entered the league.
The Raiders are now 3-1 and look like a legitimate threat for the first time in ages. That probably means all hope of watching Maxx Crosby leave the division should be gone by now, and maybe forever.
The Chiefs will have to continue to deal with Crosby remaining in the division
No pass rusher has given Mahomes more trouble than Crosby. He has 6.5 sacks against No. 15, including a half sack and a handful of pressures and hits in their latest encounter. They have nothing but the utmost respect for one another, and they've starred in some great battles. Though the Chiefs are constantly getting the last laugh.
Klint Kubiak is showing dangerous shades of being this year's Ben Johnson, and that means the Raiders will be a tough opponent for years to come. Regardless of their quarterback situation, that means Crosby isn't going anywhere.
The Raiders had finally come to terms with the idea of moving on from their superstar pass rusher. They didn't see eye to eye anymore, and he let them know that he was finally open to taking his talents elsewhere.
However, they underwent a major overhaul this offseason, and that failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them. Crosby returned to a revamped defense, with no desire to leave again.
There was still hope that the Raiders would ultimately cut ties with the star pass rusher after a slow start to the season. Not even the most optimistic Raiders fan imagined they would be this competitive with a first-year head coach and this version of Kirk Cousins leading the offense.
But as it turns out, it looks like Mahomes will just have to keep dealing with Crosby for the long run. Hopefully, he'll do so with Josh Simmons finally back at left tackle. Otherwise, every win against the Raiders will have to come at a steep price for the Chiefs' three-time Super Bowl MVP.
You have to beat the best to be the best, and Crosby is one of the absolute greatest.
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