**3\. Raiders' tailback Ashton Jeanty has forced 26 missed tackles this season.**
Las Vegas owns the No. 29 scoring offense in the NFL through six weeks at 17.2 points-per-game, but it's not due to a lack of talent at the skill positions. Specifically, tailback Ashton Jeanty – the No. 6 overall pick in the draft back in April – ranks second among all running backs in forced missed tackles (26) and third in yards-after-contact (376) so far this year.
Jeanty exploded for 138 yards on just 21 carries back in Week 4, and in order to slow down the Raiders' offense on Sunday, it all begins with containing the former Boise State star.
Fortunately, the Chiefs are coming off a game in which they managed to hold the tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to just 89 yards combined on the ground last week. It marked just the third time in the Lions' last 23 games in which they were held under 100 yards rushing, and Kansas City will need to put together a similar performance against Jeanty on Sunday.
Another player the Chiefs will need to contain this weekend is wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who currently leads the Raiders in receptions with 29. Meyers – who is listed as "Questionable" for the game – has done the vast majority of his damage from the slot, drawing 18 targets while in the slot this year. Meyers has caught 26 of those targets for 204 yards – 106 of which occurred after-the-catch, marking the fourth-most of any wide receiver in the league.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how much cornerback Trent McDuffie plays in the slot on Sunday. McDuffie logged a season-high 17 coverage snaps in the slot last week, yielding one catch for just four yards.
McDuffie and the rest of the Chiefs' defense will also look to continue the two main issues that have plagued the Raiders' offense all season long: turnovers and red zone inefficiency.
Las Vegas' 11 giveaways lead the NFL, and quarterback Geno Smith's 10 interceptions are the most of any passer. Smith has thrown at least one pick in five of the Raiders' six games, directly leading to 35 total points for the opposition following those takeaways.
The Raiders have also struggled in the red zone, scoring touchdowns at second-worst rate (38.9%) in the NFL.
So, if the Chiefs are to slow down the Raiders' offense on Sunday, it will come down to continuing those negative trends while preventing Las Vegas' playmakers – notably Jeanty and Meyers – from compiling breakout performances.
**4\. Las Vegas' defensive line can get after the quarterback.**
The Raiders' defense ranks 23rd in scoring this season at 24.8 points allowed-per-game, but the overall numbers don't necessarily tell the full story. The aforementioned turnovers, for example, have been the primary reason Las Vegas has taken the field in its own territory defensively 13 times this year, marking the second-highest tally of any team in the league.
This group is talented, too, especially up front. Defensive end Maxx Crosby remains among the top pass-rushers in the NFL, and second-year defensive tackle Jonah Laulu has been impressive so far with four sacks already. The Chiefs will also need to keep an eye on defensive end Malcolm Koonce, whose last appearance against Kansas City included three sacks in a Raiders' victory on Christmas Day in 2023.
Kansas City's offensive line protected well last week against the Lions' stout pass-rush, allowing just 10 pressures on 38 dropbacks, and they'll need to be at their best once again on Sunday.