Derek Carr was, ‘one step ahead’ of the Chiefs in first game: players to watch Sunday
Leave it to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to bottom-line the Chiefs’ poor performance against the Raiders in their Week 5 loss. He was asked about Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for 347 yards with three touchdowns in one of the best games of his career.
“I expect him to be as smart as he was in the first game,” Spagnuolo said. “He was one step ahead of me the whole game.”
This tip of the cap from a coach to an opponent was well deserved. Carr controlled the game and picked up his third victory in 13 games against the Chiefs, all during the Andy Reid era. An odd stat: Carr’s previous two victories over the Chiefs were followed by five straight losses.
Here are some players who figure to make a difference Sunday, other than Carr and Patrick Mahomes.
Chris Jones, Chiefs defensive tackle
The way to guard against explosive plays — the Raiders had seven of at least 23 yards in these teams’ first meeting of 2020 — is to generate a better pass rush. That didn’t happen as much as the Chiefs would have liked in last month’s game. Carr had time to go over the top for touchdown passes of 72 and 59 yards, the two longest passing plays by Las Vegas this season. Jones has 5 1/2 sacks and has forced two fumbles in eight games this season.
Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins
Watkins expects to be on the field for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury against the Raiders. The Chiefs’ passing game hasn’t missed a beat without Watkins, but his return strengthens the operation. His terrific hands, downfield blocking and ability to serve as an outlet when Patrick Mahomes is forced to scramble can’t be overstated. “Sammy looks just like Sammy — he should be fresh and ready to go,” offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said.
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs
The Raiders’ power-running game begins with Jacobs, who rushed for 112 yards and caught four passes in their 37-12 victory over the Broncos last weekend. Jacobs wasn’t the offensive star against the Chiefs last month, but he was his usual solid self with 77 yards and two touchdowns. He has 700 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season, and 306 of those yards have come in the Raiders’ past three games.
Jeff Heath, Raiders linebacker
What a day Heath had last week against the Broncos. He recorded two interceptions and two pass deflections against Denver quarterback Drew Lock. Heath’s second pick came in the end zone with 12 seconds remaining in the first half to crush a Broncos scoring opportunity. For his efforts, Heath won the AFC’s weekly defensive award.