The Kansas City Chiefs have owned the AFC West for most of the Patrick Mahomes era. Of course, that includes their matchups with the Las Vegas Raiders, who have been bottom-feeders for most of that tenure.
However, as much as Mahomes may hold bragging rights over the Silver & Black, Maxx Crosby will always be a force to be reckoned with. He's still one of the prime headhunters in the game, and he's also gotten the best of No. 15 multiple times.
That's why, with their Week 4 matchup on the horizon, Mahomes and Crosby had nothing but praise and respect for one another. While they won't pull any punches, it's clear they share strong mutual respect.
Patrick Mahomes and Maxx Crosby have had some epic battles
“Mahomes, Kelce… they’re great at what they do. We’ve got guys that are hungry. It is war. You circle every single game, some games you might circle twice. Me and Pat had some great battles,” Crosby said (h/t Vegas Sports Today).
As previously mentioned, Patrick Mahomes has had the last laugh against the Raiders more often than not. He boasts a 13-2 record in 15 career games against them, including an ongoing three-game winning streak.
Mahomes has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,427 yards, 36 touchdowns, and five interceptions, boasting a 107.7 passer rating and adding 63 carries for 302 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In short, Mahomes has put together an MVP-caliber season while playing Las Vegas. However, Crosby has also been stellar in those matchups.
No player has taken down Mahomes more often than the Raiders' star (6), despite the team's lack of pass rush help in the past. The Raiders have been overly physical with him, sacking him 26 times for a loss of 176 yards. Pat knows what he's up against:
“He’s one of the best competitors in the league—there’s ton of respect for how he plays the game of football, how he competes and the man that he is, for me I just know when I step on that football field, I’m going to be my best,” Mahomes said of Crosby (h/t Sleeper Chiefs).
Notably, Crosby won't be the only threat on Sunday. The recently signed Kwity Paye (2.0 sacks) has looked good for Klint Kubiak's team, and so has Malcolm Koonce (2.5 sacks). Kahlil Benson and Jaylon Moore will have their hands full in Week 4.
Just because the Chiefs have had the Raiders' number in recent years doesn't mean this game will be a walk in the park. The Raiders, like the Chiefs, are one of the few undefeated teams in the league, and their offense is buzzing under Kubiak's guidance to the tune of matching KC's points per game at 29.4 through three contests.
Mahomes is coming off a major injury and playing behind an undrafted rookie at left tackle. That's never an ideal setting, more so when you're going against one of the most dominant pass rushers in recent years. That said, the makeshift offensive line has done a solid job of keeping him out of harm's way thus far. He's only taken four sacks, none of which have been on Kahlil Benson.
Will the former Indiana Hoosier keep the streak alive against Crosby, or will the Raiders star add another Mahomes takedown to his résumé? We'll have to wait and see.
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