The Las Vegas Raiders have some tough games on their schedule in the early slate of the season, but none tougher than their divisional foe and heated rival. The 2025 schedule does no favors for the Raiders, and that remains true in their week seven matchup.
The Raiders have a bye week in week eight, which will let the team recuperate early, as well as give Pete Carroll and the rest of the top brass in the Raiders organization time to think about how they'll approach the second half of the season.
Standing in their way of heading into their bye week with a victory are the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders were unable to win a single divisional game in the AFC West last season, and they're out for revenge.
Under Carroll's guidance and reenergized team spirit with new additions like Ashton Jeanty and Geno Smith, there's no way that they go two years in a row without taking a game from any of their division rivals.
The Raiders will face off against the Chiefs again in week 18, and I think what will determine both games is how effective the Chiefs' offensive line will be in protecting Patrick Mahomes. As was seen in their Super Bowl meltdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs can be beaten if Mahomes isn't given any time to scan the field and make the right decisions.
Luckily for the Raiders, their defense should be better than ever in 2025, with plenty of players looking to make an impact. The Raiders' biggest foe in 2024 was injury, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
That injury luck cannot happen for two years in a row, and the Chiefs are dealing with a transitional period in their offensive line, where they are in the middle of growing their young talent and phasing out the players they've relied on for years.
This makes them even more vulnerable against a ferocious Raiders pass rush that's looking to get back on track in 2025. The writing is on the wall for the Raiders to steal one of these games, but I don't think they'd be able to win both.
By week 18, the Chiefs may be resting their starters, so a win may be inevitable. However, I'd wager that Carroll would motivate his players extra before their first matchup against the Chiefs in 2025 to secure a victory before their bye week and steal a game on the road.
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