Silver And Black Pride
The worst team scoring points hosting the sixth stingiest defense in the league to close out the 2025 season.
That’s the tale of the tape for the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs Week 18 matchup this Sunday inside Allegiant Stadium.
At an average of 14.2 points per game and 227 total, Las Vegas is the caboose amongst NFL offenses. The team is behind the Cleveland Browns (259) and Tennessee Titans (277) in total points scored. Here’s something even more staggering in comparison: The Los Angeles Rams are the league’s top scoring offense with 481 total points. That’s 254-point difference when compared to the Silver & Black.
Which makes the Raiders’ final homestand an uphill climb as the Chiefs march into Sin City with the sixth stingiest defense in the league. Allowing just 314 points on the year (19.6 points per game average), Kansas City is just behind the Denver Broncos, who’ve allowed 308 points. The NFL’s top defensive unit — the Houston Texans — yields just 265 points, in comparison.
Considering Las Vegas’ top pass-catching option — tight end Brock Bowers — is on injured reserve and the team could only muster 10 points against the New York Giants last Sunday, the “uphill climb” against Kansas City is apt.
The visiting G-Men, who boast the 30th-ranked run defense, stymied the Raiders run game for much of the Week 17 matchup. And just 122 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty will be greeted by the NFL’s 10th-best run defense in the Chiefs. While it maybe “any given Sunday”, the lackluster performance against a lower echelon run defense a week ago doesn’t portend to good things this week against a Top 10 unit.
Although, heading into the season finale, Kansas City’s defense did yield 164 and 128 total rushing yards in back-to-back weeks against the Tennessee Titans and Broncos, respectively.
And that’s the start of how Las Vegas avoids one last lopsided loss to close out the 2025 campaign: Run the ball early and often with Jeanty.
A big part of this consideration is the absence of usual starting quarterback Geno Smith, who hasn’t practiced all week due to an ankle ailment. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has noted numerous times it’s difficult to see Smith suit up and a combination of Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell is on tap.
Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defense made life tough for quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos last Sunday as Nix finished 26 of 38 for 182 yards with one touchdown, one interception, while also getting sacked once. And in the first matchup between the Raiders and Chiefs back on Oct. 19 in Arrowhead — a 31-0 win by Kansas City — Las Vegas was limited to 95 total yards (70 passing, 25 rushing).
Dedication to the run game, mixing in play action, and seeing if speedster wide receivers Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton while possession wideout Jack Bech and tight end Michael Mayer can find soft...
