Raiders, Chiefs look for leg up in tight AFC West race

All 4 teams successful the AFC West are projected to triumph betwixt 9.0 and 9.9 games according to Football Outsiders, which runs 50,000 simulations of the remainder of the play each week.

It’s not wholly astonishing considering conscionable a half-game separates the teams successful the standings done Week 9, but does service arsenic a stark reminder of conscionable however adjacent the divisional contention is astatine this point.

That makes each crippled vital, but genuinely magnifies the value of divisional matchups similar Sunday night’s prime-time matter betwixt the Raiders and Chiefs astatine Allegiant Stadium.

Not that the rivalry needs immoderate other juice.

“Certainly immoderate clip you play your part you cognize it’s a large crippled and past the rivalry betwixt the Raiders and the Chiefs is historical,” Raiders interim manager Rich Bisaccia said. “So, again we are excited that we get a accidental to play astatine location and get a accidental to play connected ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Guys were truly enthused retired determination (on the signifier field). So, we’ll spot what happens.”

What happens could beryllium a large origin successful whether 1 oregon some of these teams marque the postseason this year, peculiarly with the Chargers acceptable to play their adjacent 2 games astatine home.

Head-to-head and intra-division tiebreakers are astir definite to travel into play, and that’s conscionable successful the AFC West.

As antiaircraft coordinator Gus Bradley pointed out, the full league is simply a logjam.

“It’s the full AFC, right?” helium said. “You ne'er cognize what’s going to hap week successful and week out. It’s highly competitive. We talked to our guys astir this period of November being big. We’ve got to play our champion shot close now.”

Just however important could an aboriginal November crippled beryllium successful the expansive strategy of things? The Pro Football Focus playoff calculator brings it immoderate perspective.

The Raiders would person a 75 percent accidental of making the playoffs should they bushed the Chiefs this week. With a loss, that fig falls to 43 percent.

“We ever speech astir the value of divisional games, but we don’t privation to downplay the value of the different games arsenic well,” violative coordinator Greg Olson said. “But anytime you play a divisional opponent, the fig 1 mode to get successful the playoffs is to triumph your division.”

The Chiefs are not lone an arch-rival of the Raiders, but a ascendant unit successful the division.

Kansas City has won 5 consecutive AFC West titles and are successful the premix for a sixth consecutive should they beryllium capable to close the vessel this season.

It’s the benignant of occurrence the Raiders are hoping to found for themselves. The key, according to Bradley, is to physique a accordant squad that doesn’t lone get fired up for large games.

“You privation to physique a squad that owns the AFC West, twelvemonth successful and twelvemonth out,” helium said. “So immoderate clip you person a divisional hostile it’s adjacent that overmuch much important. But I deliberation we effort to dainty each crippled arsenic a title opportunity. You effort to support them successful that mindset to debar the highs and the lows. This is conscionable different opportunity.”

Bradley’s defence has started to find that consistency, conscionable arsenic helium hoped. He has said helium thinks his strategy starts to click with his players astir midway done his archetypal season, and helium has started to spot that.

Now helium wants to spot them execute connected the large stage. He thinks they’re ready.

“We’ve mentioned galore times to our defense; we’ll vie anywhere, anytime,” helium said. “This week it conscionable happens to beryllium successful Vegas, present let’s go. And it conscionable happens to beryllium Sunday night.

“This volition beryllium a bully trial for us. A large test. We request this trial to spot wherever we are and wherever we request to improve.”

That is existent for the defence due to the fact that of however good coached and explosive the Chiefs are connected offense.

“It’s a week that is straining mentally connected coaches conscionable due to the fact that of the accomplishment acceptable they have,” Bradley said.

Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.