NFL Week 7 Picks: Raiders Run Game Will Lead to Home Blowout of Chiefs

Carson Palmer's trade to the Oakland Raiders has generated plenty of attention. That's fine. He's a big-name quarterback going to a new team that paid an awful lot to get him.

However, if we're taking a look at the game that looks like it will be Palmer's first of the season, the Oakland quarterback is not the man that will take the team to victory.

No, the primary man who will do that is running back Darren McFadden, who will be aided by backfield mate Michael Bush.

It's really hard to imagine the Chiefs putting enough pressure on the Raiders offense to make it pass a lot.

There may not be a more deceptive two-game winning streak in NFL history than the one that the Chiefs currently hold. They have beaten two teams with a combined one win. That hardly suggests that they can go into the house of a 4-2 opponent and come anywhere near beating it.

So, even if you're a big Carson Palmer fan, think about the game this way: He hasn't played in an NFL game since last season. He himself as suggested he feels a little rusty. It makes perfect sense. How can a guy who hasn't played since January be expected to be on top of his game against players who are now nearly halfway through a regular season?

He can't.

Fortunately for the Raiders, he doesn't need to. McFadden and Bush are more than a formidable duo. They have dramatically different running styles, so they will give the Chiefs defense plenty of different looks.

The bottom line is that Oakland is just a better team than Kansas City. A big reason for that is that the Raiders run the ball and run it well. That's what will win the day on Sunday.

If the Raiders rely heavily on Carson Palmer, they have made a mistake.

 



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