The Las Vegas Raiders Week 18 contest doesn't mean anything to them anymore after they came up short in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers. The same can't be said for their opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be looking to solidify their current standing as the top seed in the AFC. It will be an interesting game for both sides, so it feels like a good time to unveil our Raiders Week 18 predictions.
The Raiders were widely expected to get destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 after turning things over to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the final two games, but instead, they took the game to overtime and very nearly pulled off a massive upset win. But they ended up coming up short, and now have nothing to play for in Week 18.
The Chiefs were always going to be a tough opponent, but with the top seed in the AFC at stake, the Raiders figured to get their best shot from one of the top teams in the league. Las Vegas has nothing to lose at this point, though, so let's take a look at three bold predictions for this contest and see what could end up happening for the Raiders in this game.
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3. The Raiders defense will allow Patrick Mahomes to pass for five touchdowns
It's safe to say that not much has gone right for the Raiders in the 2022 season, but one of their biggest struggles has come in their secondary. The Raiders have one of the worst pass defenses in the entire league, as their 246.8 passing yards allowed per game is the fourth worst total in the league. That typically isn't good news for when you are going against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
Mahomes carved up Las Vegas' defense in their first meeting this season (29/43, 292 YDS, 4 TD) and he's only gotten better as the season has gone on. The Raiders don't really have anyone in the secondary who can make things difficult for Mahomes, so once again, this could be an ugly game for Las Vegas' pass defense.
Mahomes has been surgical in recent weeks, and he will easily dispatch the Raiders subpar pass defense in this game. Mahomes will fire a pair of touchdowns to Travis Kelce and Jerick McKinnon each, while also hitting JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone, to rack up five passing touchdowns on the day, which is the first time he's hit that mark this season. The end result will be another poor performance from the Raiders secondary.
2. Raiders QB Jarrett Stidham will throw three touchdowns for the second straight game
Easily the most surprising development in Week 17 for the Raiders was just how good Jarrett Stidham looked under center. Stidham has barely played throughout his career, but effortlessly filled in for Carr and torched arguably the best defense in the league all day long (23/34, 365 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT). It was a wildly encouraging performance from Stidham that nobody could have expected.
While the Chiefs are 13-3, their defense isn't exactly the best unit on the planet, and they could offer Stidham a more favorable matchup than the one he came across in Week 17. The Raiders are likely going to have to air the ball out early and often if they want to have a chance to win this game, which could mean that Stidham will be in store for another big day against the Chiefs.
With his full complement of playmakers available, Stidham will once again put together a big outing that sees him fire three touchdowns. He will find his favorite target in Davante Adams for one score, Darren Waller for another, and Josh Jacobs out of the backfield for the third. Stidham's second straight big game will leave folks wondering whether he could be the Raiders starting quarterback for the 2023 season.
1. The Chiefs will beat the Raiders in a 38-28 shootout
Based on the first two predictions, you have likely deduced by now that this game is going to be a shootout, but it's ultimately not one that the Raiders will win. There will be signs of encouragement on offense, but the Chiefs offense is simply too good for the Raiders defense to slow down, and they will end up getting throttled throughout this one.
The Chiefs will quickly race out to a 10-0 lead, which they will hold for the entire afternoon despite the Raiders best efforts. Stidham will find Waller for his first score of the day in the second quarter, but Mahomes immediately matches it with a touchdown pass to his own tight end in Kelce, and the game goes into halftime with a 17-7 score.
The Chiefs will take a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter, and while Stidham will lead two straight touchdown drives to close the gap, the Chiefs score two of their own to extend the lead back to 17 points at 38-21. Stidham will find Jacobs on a garbage-time touchdown late in the fourth, and when all is said and done, the Raiders will have picked up a 38-28 loss to close out their 2022 campaign.
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