Just win, baby. It has worked for the heart-attack Raiders so far, with wild wins over the Saints, Titans, Ravens and Chargers to reach 4-1.
But all of the talk that the Silver & Black are officially back is premature until the Raiders -- alone atop the AFC West after the Broncos lost Thursday -- beat Andy Reid's Chiefs. Reid is 5-1 against the Raiders since arriving in Kansas City, which includes wins in both meetings last season.
The 2-2 Chiefs enter Sunday's game rested off their bye and ready to turn the page after a 29-point stomping from the Steelers.
"We're 2-2. It's not the end of the world, even though it feels that way," Reid told the Kansas City Star this week.
The Chiefs could be 1-3, if not for the Bad News Bolts, who continue to find exciting new ways to cough up wins. The Chargers botched a potential game-tying kick in Week 5 to let the Raiders off the hook with a 34-31 win and nearly blew a three-score lead to the Broncos on Thursday night.
Yet again, Derek Carr and Michael Crabtree worked their late-game magic in Week 5, with Carr finding Crabtree for a go-ahead 21-yard TD pass on fourth-and-2.
Carr has been playing the best football of his career, grading out as Pro Football Focus' seventh-best starting QB through five weeks. And the Raiders offense will likely continue to flow through his right arm with a run game that hasn't been the same since Latavius Murray's toe injury. Murray is expected to be inactive on Sunday.
The Raiders' 26th-ranked defense, however, remains an absolute liability: It gave up a whopping 31 points and 423 yards to a Chargers attack decimated by injuries. The Chargers ripped off seven plays of more than 20 yards and three over 50 yards while racking up 8.3 yards per play.
"[We have to] stop playing Santa Claus. Stop giving out presents," Jack Del Rio told CSN Bay Area after Sunday's win. "We gave out a couple today, a couple of 50-yard passes gift wrapped and placed them under the tree. At some point we'll stop doing that."
That said, Alex Smith doesn't at all scare as a down-field passer like Philip Rivers, Drew Brees or Matt Ryan. According to PFF, Smith ranks 27th in the NFL in big-time throws:
He's attempted the second-lowest percentage of deep (20+ yards in the air) throws, hitting on 3-of-13, one of which was dropped, good for an adjusted completion percentage of 30.8 percent (26th in the league).
The Raiders will likely sell out to stop the run and force Smith to beat them. Here's everything you need to know for watching Sunday's game.
How to Watch
What: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
When: Sunday, Oct. 16, 4:05 p.m. ET
Where: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV: CBS (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon on the call)
Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile app, Sunday Ticket: DirecTV
Online: NFL Game Pass (available to watch online after midnight)
Odds: The Chiefs are 1-point favorites (via SportsLine)
Injury Report
Chiefs
- None
Raiders
- T Vadal Alexander (Ankle) -- Out
- S Nate Allen (Quad) -- Questionable
- G Jon Feliciano (Calf) -- Questionable
- RB Taiwan Jones (Knee) -- Questionable
- T Matt McCants (Knee) -- Questionable
- RB Latavius Murray (Toe) -- Out
- LB Malcolm Smith (Quad) -- Questionable
- TE Clive Walford (Knee) -- Questionable
- T Menelik Watson (Calf) -- Out
Prisco's Pick
The Chiefs come off their bye with a big road game at Oakland. The Raiders are 4-1 and in first place in the division, but their defense has struggled. The Chiefs don't have a great offense, ranking 22nd, so it's not that big an issue here. Raiders win a tight one.
Pick: Raiders 21, Chiefs 20