KC Reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Las Vegas Raiders in a divisional matchup on Sunday, aiming to continue their recent success against AFC West opponents.

The Chiefs will be without offensive tackle Josh Simmons due to personal reasons, but no other players are listed with injury designations. The Raiders, however, may miss two key contributors: tight end Brock Bowers is doubtful with a knee injury and has not played since Week 5, while wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is questionable due to knee and toe issues.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice returns for Kansas City after serving a six-game suspension and recovering from a knee injury that ended his previous season early. Last year, Rice led the NFL in receptions through three games and was second in receiving yards before his injury. His return adds depth to an offense that has scored at least 28 points in each of the last three games. During this period, the Chiefs have scored 95 points—their highest three-game total since late 2021—and now have all primary receivers available for the first time since April 2024.

"It's been a long time coming," Rice said on Friday. "The time's finally here."

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has distributed the ball effectively this season, making Kansas City one of three teams with four players who have at least 220 receiving yards each. Xavier Worthy, who recently returned from injury, averages over 11 yards per touch across three games.

On the Raiders' side, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has forced 26 missed tackles—second among all running backs—and ranks third in yards after contact with 376. Jeanty had a standout performance in Week 4 with 138 rushing yards on 21 carries. The Chiefs defense recently limited Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to just 89 combined rushing yards, holding the Lions under 100 rushing yards for only the third time in their last 23 games.

Jakobi Meyers leads the Raiders with 29 receptions this season and is particularly effective from the slot position. Cornerback Trent McDuffie may play a significant role defending Meyers; last week he allowed just one catch for four yards when covering the slot.

Turnovers have been an issue for Las Vegas this year—the team leads the NFL with 11 giveaways, including quarterback Geno Smith’s league-high ten interceptions. These turnovers have resulted in opponents scoring a total of 35 points following takeaways. The Raiders also struggle in red zone efficiency, converting touchdowns at just a 38.9% rate.

Defensively, Las Vegas ranks near the bottom of the league by allowing an average of 24.8 points per game but features strong pass rushers such as Maxx Crosby and Jonah Laulu, who has recorded four sacks this season. Malcolm Koonce had three sacks against Kansas City during their last meeting on Christmas Day in 2023.

Kansas City's offensive line allowed only ten pressures on 38 dropbacks last week against Detroit’s defense and will need another solid performance to protect Mahomes.

Since Andy Reid became head coach in 2013, Kansas City holds a record of 56-17 against divisional opponents—the best mark among all NFL teams during that period. Mahomes himself is 35-6 versus AFC West rivals and holds the highest winning percentage against division opponents by any quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger. He is also 12-2 against the Raiders throughout his career.

With an opportunity to move above .500 for the first time this season, Mahomes looks to extend these records on Sunday.