Arrowhead Pride
A disappointing season for the Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) will come to an end against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-14) on Sunday. The game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the opening kickoff scheduled for 3:25 p.m. Arrowhead time. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Kansas City is coming off a hard-fought 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Christmas night in Week 17. Despite a lineup laced with backups, the Chiefs kept the game close and had a chance to tie or win on the final possession.
On the other side of this matchup, the Raiders were dismantled at home by the New York Giants. The 34-10 defeat in Week 17 gave Las Vegas the worst record in the NFL this season, and has set them up to have the no. 1 overall draft pick in the 2026 draft.
Kansas City hammered the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 7, shutting them out to a 31-0 final. This matchup will look much different, with both teams missing key players. Here are five things to watch:
Last week, rookie running back Brashard Smith scored his first career touchdown on a staple design for the Chiefs’ red-zone offense. He has played a limited role all season long, but the highlight-reel play could lead to more opportunities in Week 18, especially with running back Kareem Hunt (illness) missing practice all week.
Smith has primarily impacted the offense as a receiver out of the backfield, but his career high in rushes came back in the first matchup with Las Vegas. By that point, the game was out of hand, and Smith was filling in during garbage time, but he rushed for 39 yards over 14 attempts. This week should be an opportunity for the Chiefs to play him in a more traditional role in the backfield.
Undrafted rookie tight end Jake Briningstool was designated to return from the Reserve/Injured list on December 17th, but has yet to be activated. With only one game remaining, this week could give Kansas City a chance to see what he can do in live action before 2026.
Unfortunately, Briningstool was ruled out from playing on Friday’s final injury report.
Briningstool profiled as an athletic pass catcher out of Clemson, with the ability to pick up yards after the catch and make contested catches using his large frame. He drew attention during training camp before falling to injury. With the Chiefs struggling to find any consistency at the position behind Kelce, it is worth remembering Bringinstool’s name moving into the offseason.
With the season nearly over, the Chiefs should be strategic about allowing more backups to play to avoid further injuries heading into the offseason, and also give the coaching staff a chance to evaluate lesser-known players on the roster.
Starting center Creed Humprey has started 84 straight games since entering the NFL in 2021, and...
