NFL Week 7 Preview: Chiefs at Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs visit the Oakland Raiders in Week 7 of the 2017 NFL season. PFF previews the top player matchups of the game.

Coverage by: Mike Guerelli

Matchup: Kansas City Chiefs offense vs. Oakland Raiders defense

• T Mitchell Schwartz vs. Edge Khalil Mack – The Chiefs will use double teams and chip blocks to try to slow down Mack, but Schwartz will also have to battle him one on one. Schwartz has allowed three sacks and 13 total pressures in 226 pass-block snaps this season. He is 19th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency among tackles with 100 or more pass-block snaps. Schwartz only allowed two pressures and no sacks in two games against Oakland last year. Mack’s 90.1 overall PFF grade ranks second among edge defenders, and his 95.3 run-defense grade is the best of any NFL player this year. He leads all edge defenders with 18 run stops, and is 15th at the position with 23 total pressures. Mack had two sacks and seven total pressures in the two matchups with the Chiefs last season.

• WR Tyreek Hill vs. CB T.J. Carrie – Hill’s speed will be a challenge for the Raiders secondary, who are still without injured first-round pick Gareon Conley. Hill ranks 10th at wide receiver this year with an 82.0 grade, and his 2.07 yards per route run ranks 13th. In two games against Oakland last year he caught all eight of his targets and had 3.74 yards per route run. Carrie has been the Raiders most reliable cornerback this season, with an 84.5 overall PFF grade that ranks 17th at the position. He only has one missed tackle in 36 attempts this year.
• RB Kareem Hunt vs. LB NaVorro Bowman – Hunt is having a dominant rookie season, leading all running backs with a 92.0 PFF grade through Week 6. He has forced the most missed tackles of any back with 43 this year, and his 3.46 yards after contact per attempt ranks fifth. We’ll see how much playing time Bowman gets after just signing with the Raiders this week. He is eighth among linebackers this year with 13 stops against the run, and will probably be used as a two down run stopper.

Coverage by: Mike Guerelli

Matchup: Oakland Raiders offense vs. Kansas City Chiefs defense

• WR Michael Crabtree vs. CB Marcus Peters – With Amari Cooper struggling this season, Crabtree has become the focal point of the Raiders offense. His 80.5 overall PFF grade ranks 14th at wide receiver this year. Crabtree is fifth among wide receivers with 2.55 yards per route run, and is fourth in passer rating when targeted at 125.5. The Oakland native Peters is PFF’s 12th ranked cornerback with an 85.5 overall grade this season. He has been targeted 31 times and allowed 19 receptions for 216 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Peters' 0.96 yards per cover snap ranks 47th of 110 cornerbacks with 70 or more snaps in coverage.

• QB Derek Carr vs. S Ron Parker – In what feels like an early must win game for Oakland, the Raiders need Carr to pull their offense out of its funk. He is PFF’s 22nd ranked quarterback with a 72.7 overall grade this year. On deep passes (targets 20 or more yards downfield) Carr has completed only 3 of 10 attempts this season, both the lowest of any starting quarterback in the NFL this season. If Carr is going to take more deep shots this week, he will have to avoid Parker, who’s 64.0 PFF grade ranks 56th of 83 qualifying safeties this season. Parker’s run-defense grade of 71.8 ranks 33rd at safety, while his coverage grade of 54.6 is 61st.
• T Vadal Alexander vs. edge Justin Houston – Raiders starting right tackle Marshall Newhouse has been ruled out with a foot injury for this game, so Alexander will start against the Chiefs. In Week 1, Oakland began the season rotating these two at right tackle, but Newhouse quickly won the job after Alexander allowed one sack in only five pass block snaps against Tennessee. He will face a stiff challenge in Houston, who is the 11th-ranked edge defender this season with an 85.7 overall PFF grade. He has six sacks and 21 total pressures in 128 pass-rush snaps.