The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders both come into Week 2 as undefeated teams. Only one team will remain undefeated after Sunday with both teams taking part in an AFC West bout for superiority in the division.
The Chiefs began their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars who were expected to be improved with Nick Foles as their quarterback. Sadly, Foles left the game early due to an injury and rookie Gardner Minshew took his place.
As good as Minshew looked, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense proved to be too much for Jacksonville's stout defense. Mahomes would connect with Sammy Watkins for nine receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 40-26 victory.
Meanwhile, the Raiders turned some heads in their first game following the release of Antonio Brown. Despite the drama surrounding their team, Oakland responded with a 24-16 win over Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos.
In the game, Derek Carr ran the offense with efficiency as Tyrell Williams and Darren Waller showed their potential in this offense. Along with their passing attack, Jon Gruden was happy to see his rookie running back Josh Jacobs find the end zone two times.
The Raiders will come into Week 2 as heavy underdogs against a high-powered Chiefs team. Considering that, here are four bold predictions for the Raiders and Chiefs matchup in Week 2.
4. Derek Carr Will Be Sacked Zero Times
The Raiders spent some money this offseason to bring in Trent Brown to bolster their offensive line. After starting at left tackle for the New England Patriots in 2018, the standout tackle made a transition to the right side this offseason.
Brown's first game with the Raiders tasked him with the responsibility of blocking Von Miller. Phenomenally, the free-agent acquisition held his own and prevented the All-Pro edge rusher from getting in the backfield.
Along with Brown, the rest of the offensive line did their jobs to keep Carr from being sacked in Week 1. The last time that Carr went two consecutive weeks without being sacked came in Weeks 7 and 8 in 2017. The Raiders signal-caller will be kept upright for the second straight week.
3. Mecole Hardman Will Have 100 Yards, Two Touchdowns
The Chiefs took on a stingy Jaguars secondary in Week led by Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Despite the talent for Jacksonville, Mahomes was still able to do as he pleased with 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Tyreek Hill went down with an injury early in the game, but Sammy Watkins was able to step up in his absence. The speedy wide receiver had a career day with nine receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
With that in mind, the Raiders are going to focus on preventing Watkins from torching their defense. Hill is expected to miss some time with a shoulder injury, leaving rookie Mecole Hardman with a phenomenal opportunity to become a threat in the offense.
Hardman failed to record a catch in Week 1 but in Week 2, but he will garner over 100 yards and he will get into the end zone twice.
2. Josh Jacobs Will Gain Over 150 Yards from Scrimmage
Over the offseason, Gruden exclaimed his excitement for Josh Jacobs' role in the Raiders offense. Right on cue, Jacobs began his rookie campaign with a productive outing in Week 1 against the Broncos.
The Alabama product rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns while also having one reception go for 28 yards. Jacobs faced a talented Denver defense last week but will face a mediocre Chiefs defense in Week 2.
The Chiefs shelled out some money to bring in Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark but that didn't help them much as they allowed 400 yards of offense to a Jaguars team who had a rookie quarterback in for the majority of the game.
Oakland will make a concerted effort to get Jacobs going again in Week 2 and he will respond with 150 yards from scrimmage.
1. Chiefs Come Out with the Win 45-31
Both teams in this matchup come in with offenses that looked remarkable in Week 1. At the same time, both teams have improved defenses but neither have groups that can prevent the other from scoring points.
The Chiefs offense is nearly unstoppable with Mahomes under center, throwing to Travis Kelce, Watkins, and his other weapons. Andy Reid and Kansas City's offense were rolling last year against the Raiders with 75 points combined in both contests.
Last year, the Chiefs won both games by the combined score of 75-36 despite their first game ending in the score 40-33. We'll have another high-scoring affair between the Raiders and Chiefs on Sunday.
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