Analysis

10/7/22

6 min read

Raiders-Chiefs Week 5 Scouting Report: Grades and Key Matchups

Raiders' Derek Carr

The Scouting Report for Monday night’s Raiders-Chiefs game is produced by The 33rd Team’s Scouting Department, which is led by former Eagles, Cardinals, and Ravens personnel executive T.J. McCreight and assisted by scouts Justin Casey, Kevin Cohn, and Evan Pritt.

 Davante Adams vs. Chiefs’ Secondary

  • Kansas City's run defense has been outstanding, but they are giving up 263 yards passing per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL.
  • Some of those yards have come in garbage time when the Chiefs were soundly beating the Cardinals and Buccaneers.
  • Adams is an elite talent on the outside for the Raiders. He is having a productive start to his season, ranking ninth in yards receiving with 290 and tied for second with three TDs.
  • He has a rare combination of height/weight/speed and is a dominant receiver. You can’t cover him one on one unless you have an elite-level corner. He plays tough and has strong hands. He has a great catch radius allowing him to catch balls thrown anywhere near him. He can run the full route tree. He is not afraid to go over the middle as he possesses great toughness. He has the speed to run the go route and take the top off the defense. He can also make guys miss in the open field. He is a true No. 1 and is a nightmare for defenses to game plan for. The Raiders will line him up all over the field to make sure they get the matchup they want.
  • Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton is a weak link for their secondary, so the Raiders will look to attack that matchup. Jaylen Watson has been good for a seventh-round rookie. He has talent but can be late to see things and is not strong in his jams. L'Jarius Sneed is their best corner, but he is also valuable to their defense as a blitzer and in run support.

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs vs. Chiefs' No. 1-Ranked Run Defense

  • Jacobs had just 16 carries for 40 yards in the 2 games against the Chiefs last year. He is coming off a big game against Denver with 28 carries for 144 yards.
  • Jacobs is quietly having a nice season so far. He ranks fifth overall in rushing yards at 336. His instincts were the first thing to stand out on tape. He has great vision to see would-be tacklers and find holes. He finds yards other backs couldn't. He hits the hole hard, and there is little wasted movement in his game. He runs hard and runs without hesitation. He is not a burner but can pick up big chunks with his great vision and ability to make guys miss. He runs through contact and can be a tough guy to bring down. He is a downhill runner that is a perfect fit for McDaniels’ offense.
  • The Chiefs’ defense has improved through the first quarter of the season. While they are not dominant, with their offense, they don’t have to be. They are first against the run, giving up just 65 yards per game and 3.33 yards per rush, which ranks third. They've only allowed one rush of more than 20 yards and only five of more than 10 yards, which is the fewest in the league.
  • Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones gets attention for his pass-rushing prowess, but he is a load vs the run. He does more than just hold up against double teams. He can get penetration with his quickness, agility and heavy hands. He only has seven tackles, but I guarantee opposing linemen have seen more than enough of him.
  • Other than Jones, their front doesn’t have a lot of star power or dominant players. They are just very disciplined in their run fits.

 

Raiders' DE Maxx Crosby vs. Chiefs' OT Andrew Wylie

  • Last year, Maxx Crosby generated the most pressures (108), which was more than Aaron Donald (102) and Nick Bosa (88). This year, Crosby is tied for fifth with 18 pressures, and he's second in the NFL with five sacks.
  • Crosby has been stout vs the run, owning a 16.1% run stop rate, which is first among edge rushers.
  • Crosby aligns on the left side 97% of the time.
  • At DE, Crosby lacks the power to punch and push OTs down their midline. Instead, Crosby thrives with quickness to slip toward an edge, paired with the use of his hands to surge past the offensive line. Once he's through the line, Crosby’s motor runs hot to close and finish the ball carrier.
  • Wylie is playing well and is having a productive season. He has the good enough foot quickness to move laterally and good enough hands to clamp on to Crosby, giving Wyile a chance to win.
  • Kansas City's offensive line has only given up five sacks, which is second in the NFL. They are a cohesive, smart unit that can pick up stunts, games and blitzes with ease.

Extra Points

  • Sneed leads the Chiefs with three sacks on 19 pass rush attempts from the nickel. He has also forced two fumbles on those blitzes. He is excellent in his timing while hiding on the edge to explode and close on the QB. When he gets to the QB, he arrives with violence. If the offensive line adjusts to block him, he is not going to run through contact, but he can avoid blocks with speed and agility.
  • Raiders defensive back Nate Hobbs is an ascending, young player. He allowed the fewest yards in man coverage (68) among all rookies last season. He’s willing to throw his body around when coming downhill, and he owns the third most tackles among corners (21).
  • Miss Tyreek Hill? The Chiefs are second in the NFL with 16 explosive plays (20+ yards).
  • This season, six different offensive players have scored Chiefs' touchdowns.
  • This offense is extremely creative and deceptive. They will motion and move people to put them in favorable matchup spots.
  • The Chiefs have yet to unleash rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore. Moore is explosive, but he's only got three catches for 61 yards this season. Look for Moore to get more chances to show what he can do.

Raiders’ Keys to Victory

  • Attack Fenton with Adams
  • Attain balance on offense with Jacobs
  • Get off to a fast start. You don’t want to play the Chiefs from behind.

Chiefs' Keys to Victory

  • Build upon what they did offensively last week
  • Continue to put the clamps on opposing running backs.

 

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