Ahead of their Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s time to release our Kansas City Chiefs Week 16 predictions.
After opening your presents Christmas morning, start the rest of your day with the opener in a three-game set of NFL games when the Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) play host to the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) in a Week 16 matchup.
After losing four out of their last seven and two out of their last three, it took making a trip to New England to face the Patriots to find themselves back in the win column. That’s not something you could say just a few years ago. You also couldn’t say the Chiefs wouldn’t have had their playoff ticket punched already by this point in the season a few years ago, but it’s true this season.
Like most of the AFC West division, the Chiefs have owned the Raiders in their recent meetings. They’ve won six straight and 11 out of their last 12. What’s even more impressive is most of those were pretty lopsided in Kansas City’s favor. Oh, and since 2012, the Raiders have only won in Arrowhead just once.
Who knows what to make of this Raiders team right now. They fired their head coach Josh McDaniels weeks ago, they lost 3-0 to the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago, then walloped the Los Angeles Chargers a week later, where they were up 42-0 at half. Good news for the Raiders is that this hasn’t been the same Chiefs team like those of the past few years. So, is this the Christmas miracle Las Vegas has been waiting for? Or will the Chiefs drop coal in their rivals’ stocking? Let’s get into some Chiefs bold predictions in Week 16 versus the Raiders.
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Chiefs receivers continue to drop passes
The Chiefs have a league-leading 26 dropped passes this season, averaging nearly 2 a game. That has been an overwhelming issue offensively for Kansas City this season, often stalling or outright killing drives. That’s not something that’s easily fixable, especially this late in the season. Expect another two or three drops in the Christmas Day game.
Patrick Mahomes rushes for 75 yards and a touchdown
Mahomes is still dangerous with his legs when he wants to be. With not being able to trust his receivers as much this season, Mahomes has had to make plays on his own out of the pocket. His highest rushing total this season is 51 yards back in Week 4 versus the New York Jets, where he carried the ball seven times.
Chiefs get outscored by Raiders in the fourth quarter
The Chiefs have had a bad habit of letting teams come back on them in the fourth quarter because they get outscored. They were shut out last week by the Patriots and were only able to score a field goal against the Buffalo Bills in a loss the week before. They’re averaging just 2.8 points per game in the fourth quarter, according to CBSSports.
Chiefs win in a nail-biter
The Chiefs have actually lost more at home this season than they have on the road (3-2). However, they’re 3-1 against AFC West opponents this season, with their only loss to the Denver Broncos on the road. In each of their five losses, they’ve lost by a touchdown or more in all but one game.
It feels like this could once again be another close game for the Chiefs, facing a Raiders team that will look to be making an upset and finding their first win against them in a long time. But it’s just too difficult to pull against the Chiefs still. Sure, they’re not as dominating this season and having to rely on their defense more than their offense. But as long as Mahomes and Andy Reid are still there, it’s always going to be hard to pick against them.
