Chiefs at Raiders
Network Associates Coliseum
Oakland, Calif.
Sunday, Nov. 5
AT A GLANCE: One of the NFL’s great rivalries gets
renewed in a game that could go a long way in determining the AFC West champion. The
Raiders have led the division from the start, but the Chiefs aren’t about to go
quietly.
|
| OVERVIEW: The AFC West has been a one-horse race so far
this season, but there may be some competition for the Raiders before all is said and
done, especially if Kansas City can answer the call this week. The Chiefs (5-3) have
been in every game this season and, like the Raiders, have a growing confidence about
them. The Chiefs flexed their offensive muscle in a 54-34 win over the Rams in Week Eight
and their defensive muscle in a 24-19 victory in Seattle a week ago.
Both teams’ quarterbacks have emerged as potent passers and leaders the past two
seasons. The Raiders’ Rich Gannon does it with his mobility, deceptive play fakes and
side-armed precision. The Chiefs’ Elvis Grbac stands tall in the pocket and uses a
quick release to go down the field more than Kansas City has in the past.
The improvement of Oakland’s special-teams unit and the team’s clutch play at
the end of games have been huge factors in the Raiders’ fast start. All of
Oakland’s eight losses in 1999 were by seven points or less, but this year the
Raiders are 5-0 in those types of games.
Oakland edged the Chiefs 20-17 at Kansas City in Week Seven and has covered the spread
in consecutive meetings. However, the Raiders have lost eight of their last 10 games at
home vs. the spread when the Chiefs come calling.
WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL:
Kansas City has tabled its power running game this season for the most part and has
gone with more of a vertical passing game behind Grbac.
Injuries to OG Dave Szott and FB Donnell Bennett have had something to do with the lack
of a consistent running game, but the emergence of the quality receiving trio of TE Tony
Gonzalez and WRs Derrick Alexander and Sylvester Morris also has played a major role in
the Chiefs’ passing prowess.
Kimble Anders has moved to the top of the heap in Kansas City’s RB-by-committee
offense, but FB Tony Richardson and RB Frank Moreau also will see time in the Chiefs’
one-RB formations. |
|
|
| Network Associates Coliseum |
| Oakland, Calif. |
| Date: Sunday, November 5, 2000 |
| 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time |
| Type Of Turf: Natural |
| Meeting Of The Year: Second |
| Previous Meeting: |
| |
Kansas City |
17 |
| |
Oakland |
(+3) 20 |
| Season Record: |
| |
Kansas City |
5-3-0 |
| |
Oakland |
7-1-0 |
| Season Record Vs. Spread: |
| |
Kansas City |
6-2-0 |
| |
Oakland |
5-3-0 |
| Home/Road Record: |
| |
Kansas City (R) |
2-1-0 |
| |
Oakland (H) |
3-1-0 |
| Home/Road Record Vs. Spread: |
| |
Kansas City (R) |
3-0-0 |
| |
Oakland (H) |
2-2-0 |
| Record On Natural Turf: |
| |
Kansas City |
4-3-0 |
| |
Oakland |
6-1-0 |
| Record On Natural Turf Vs. Spread: |
| |
Kansas City |
5-2-0 |
| |
Oakland |
4-3-0 |
|
|
| After a slow start, Gonzalez has gone over 100 yards receiving in his last three games
and four of his last five. Alexander, meanwhile, has at least one touchdown in six of the
Chiefs’ eight games this season. Defensively, the Raiders have played better than
their rankings but are susceptible to occasional breakdowns in coverage. Despite having
some playmakers in the secondary, the Raiders often tend to play too soft vs. multi-WR
sets, allowing teams to take advantage of underneath routes. Oakland also has had
difficulties stopping teams on third down.
WHEN THE RAIDERS HAVE THE BALL:
Head coach Jon Gruden wants the Raiders to be a run-oriented team, and he is not shy
about letting it be known. When the RB tandem of Tyrone Wheatley and Napoleon Kaufman are
following the lead blocks of FB Jon Ritchie and an improving offensive line, good things
tend to happen for Oakland.
Wheatley is at his best when he is able to attack the defensive line between the
tackles, while Kaufman is more of a change-of-pace back who can catch passes out of the
backfield and bounce a running play to the outside.
Gannon has been exceptional at orchestrating the offense and keeping the Raiders in
position to win. He tends to zero in on WR Tim Brown a lot, perhaps too much. TE Rickey
Dudley has been vastly underused, but Ritchie and veteran WR Andre Rison have been
successful in taking some attention away from Brown.
Kansas City’s defensive line has survived various injuries to all four starters
and continues to thrive in providing pressure. However, through some insistence by head
coach Gunther Cunningham, Chiefs defensive coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer has begun to
bring heat from other sources in recent weeks.
Earlier in the season, the Chiefs relied almost entirely on the defensive line for the
pass rush in an attempt to keep their linebackers in coverage to aid a young secondary.
But the Chiefs’ rookie defensive backs have held their own, leading to Kansas
City’s more liberal approach to blitzing.
Valuable DL John Browning, who has played every position along the line this season,
has replaced upstart DE Eric Hicks, who is out another 4-5 weeks with a sprained knee. LB
Donnie Edwards plays sideline to sideline as well as anyone in the game.
All game previews and depth charts were compiled as of Oct. 29, 2000 |
|
OFFENSE |
| WR |
84 MORRIS*, 81 Lockett |
| OLT |
76 TAIT, 70 Spears |
| OLG |
69 BLACKSHEAR, 60 Willis |
| C |
61 GRUNHARD, 71 Waters, 60 Willis |
| ORG |
68 SHIELDS, 69 Blackshear |
| ORT |
66 RILEY, 72 Alford*, 70 Spears |
| TE |
88 GONZALEZ, 87 Drayton, 89 Dunn |
| WR |
82 ALEXANDER, 80 Parker, 85 Ricks |
| QB |
18 GRBAC, 1 Moon, 15 Collins |
| RB |
38 ANDERS, 46 Moreau*, 34 Cloud |
| FB |
49 RICHARDSON, 30 Bennett, 38 Anders |
DEFENSE |
| DLE |
93 BROWNING, 56 Stills, 98 Hicks |
| DLT |
75 McGLOCKTON, 90 Martin, 95 Ransom |
| DRT |
90 MARTIN, 92 Williams, 93 Browning |
| DRE |
99 CLEMONS, 93 Browning, 97 Parten |
| LLB |
51 BUSH, 55 George, 56 Stills |
| MLB |
53 PATTON, 57 Maslowski |
| RLB |
59 EDWARDS, 55 George, 52 O'Neal* |
| LCB |
41 DENNIS*, 44 Warfield, 24 Bartee* |
| RCB |
40 HASTY, 23 Gray, 24 Bartee* |
| SS |
25 WESLEY*, 35 Atkins |
| FS |
21 WOODS, 27 Walker |
SPECIALIST |
| P |
5 SAUERBRUN |
| PK |
2 PETERSON |
| H |
5 SAUERBRUN |
| PR |
80 PARKER, 20 Hall* |
| KR |
20 HALL*, 34 Cloud |
| KC |
83 GAMMON |
* Rookie |
|
|
OFFENSE |
| WR |
81 BROWN, 80 Rison, 88 Dunn |
| OLT |
74 STINCHCOMB, 65 Sims |
| OLG |
76 WISNIEWSKI, 65 Sims |
| C |
63 B. ROBBINS, 62 Treu |
| ORG |
79 COLLINS, 73 Ashmore |
| ORT |
72 KENNEDY, 73 Ashmore |
| TE |
83 DUDLEY, 87 Brigham |
| WR |
82 JETT, 1 Porter* |
| QB |
12 GANNON, 14 Hoying, 16 Peete |
| RB |
47 WHEATLEY, 26 Kaufman, 28 Jordan |
| FB |
40 RITCHIE, 32 Crockett |
DEFENSE |
| DLE |
91 UPSHAW, 94 Bryant |
| DLT |
90 JACKSON, 95 A. Robbins, 92 Ioane* |
| DRT |
96 RUSSELL, 57 Coleman |
| DRE |
51 JOHNSTONE, 99 Taves |
| SLB |
59 THOMAS, 50 Barton |
| MLB |
54 BIEKERT, 55 Brooks |
| WLB |
58 ALEXANDER, 53 Smith |
| LCB |
24 WOODSON, 23 Gordon |
| RCB |
21 ALLEN, 20 James |
| SS |
49 POPE, 37 Harris |
| FS |
33 DORSETT, 27 Branch |
SPECIALIST |
| P |
9 LECHLER* |
| PK |
11 JANIKOWSKI* |
| H |
9 LECHLER* |
| PR |
23 GORDON |
| KR |
26 KAUFMAN, 27 Branch |
| KC |
62 TREU |
* Rookie |
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