It’s all coming up Chiefs as Raiders visit on Sunday

With five days to go before game day at Arrowhead Stadium, it is all coming up Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs opened up as 9.5-point favorites against the Oakland Raiders, who are coming off their worst effort of the season against the New York Jets, a 34-3 loss to a team that had won just three games in 10 weeks.

There is that — and then there is Arrowhead Stadium.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is in the Chiefs’ division, yet in his six-year career, he has never once beaten them on the road. Carr’s passing yards-per-game average drops 99 yards at Arrowhead Stadium, his completion percentage drops 8% and his total quarterback rating drops 29 points.

The Chiefs are coming off their bye week, where Andy Reid is 17-3 in his career (4-2 in Kansas City). Frank Clark is apparently healthy and most recently played his best game as a Chief, the NFL’s most dynamic weapon in Tyreek Hill should be good to go and Patrick Mahomes had another week to rest both his right knee and left ankle.

That, and if you don’t think everybody suddenly talking about Lamar Jackson as the league’s best quarterback hasn’t gotten to Mahomes, you’re sorely mistaken. He would never say it in a presser, but he strives to be the best. Something tells me he throws for five touchdowns on Sunday.

In Kansas City, this type of talk may be worrisome.

“The Chiefs can’t overlook the Raiders with the Patriots up ahead next week!”

I don’t think Reid will allow that to happen — he’s done this for too long, and the Chiefs were upset by the Tennessee Titans just two weeks ago.

“The way that the National Football League is right now, and it really has been, there is a strive for parity,” said Reid. “That’s kind of where we’re at in this league. You better be prepared every week.”

Reid continued.

“You just know when you play the Raiders it’s going to be a battle,” said Reid. “They are very well coached. I have a lot of respect for Jon Gruden as a football coach and a friend, obviously. He’s got that group going. They were coming off a three-game win streak there, or four, but they were on a roll. Now you put things on the line here and you get to this part of the season and things count for both teams. It should be a great game and I know Arrowhead will be rocking here on this Thanksgiving weekend. They’ll be ready to go and it should be a great environment for a game with decent weather. All in all it should be good football weather.”

Is it Sunday yet?