When the Kansas City Chiefs roll into Oakland, the feeling of impending doom hovers. With the Raiders and their season, circling the proverbial drain, hope faded somewhere. Yet, a portion of the fanbase still holds on to hope that the Raiders can escape Sunday with a victory. For those devout fans, this article is for them.
Expect Shootout
Granted, everyone knows that the Chiefs will feature a potent offense. As a result, any talk from Paul Guenther about silencing Kansas City remains comical. The Chiefs will score on anyone. Plus, teams featuring pass rushers own a small amount of success. Currently, the Raiders do not enjoy that luxury. In that case, be prepared for a high scoring affair. If you think a 17-10 game looks plausible, this game is not for you.
Risky Behavior
As mentioned, if you are the Raiders and Jon Gruden, what do you have to lose? The season looks lost. The defense cannot stop quality teams. Meanwhile, the offense features a hodgepodge of skill position talent. Under those circumstances, throw caution to the wind. Why not force the Chiefs to defend the full field. Granted, conventional wisdom dictates a ground=and=pound attack. Time-consuming drives will keep the ball out of the Chiefs’ hands. While that could work, it will not guarantee points.
Holding the ball for 34 minutes and surrendering 45 points in a beatdown solves nothing. If Jon Gruden is the offensive mind that many see him as, go for broke. Instead of the same tired shallow crosses, throw a few wrinkles in. Try some misdirection, deeper patterns. Anything to catch the Chiefs off-guard. While Kansas City employs a stellar offense, the defense will give up yards and points, by the truckload. Why not play with tempo, throw a few gadget plays in?
Loose
In reality, no one expects the Raiders to win. In fact, few want them to. However, with nothing to lose, why not throw caution out and have a little fun? Chances are that many of these players will call somewhere else home next season. If you play hard with nothing to lose, nothing bad can happen. If the Raiders lose by 40, they lose by 40. Sticking to a rigid gameplan solves nothing.
