After winning two out of the last three, led by Derek Carr and Khalil Mack, Oakland looks to sweep the season series with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders cannot approach this game identically to the Week 12 matchup. The coaches must take what worked and expand on the game plan. The rapid development of a few young key players will allow coordinators Greg Olson and Jason Tarver to attack Kansas City in a variety of ways.
The Chiefs will see a lot more of running back Latavius Murray. Alex Smith will also have to deal with Mack, considering his progression as a pass-rusher.
Here are the nitty-gritty details on Oakland’s strategy for the Chiefs.
Raiders on Offense
Kansas City’s defensive line is very aggressive when harassing quarterbacks (34 sacks) but susceptible to being gashed by the run. Murray’s 112-yard performance on the ground against this defense was the onset of a much bigger problem. The Chiefs have allowed four consecutive 100-yard rushers and currently have the second-worst run defense in the league.
Coincidentally, interim head coach Tony Sparano has placed more trust in the second-year running back, who was the second ball-carrier to embarrass the Chiefs rush defense. According to ESPN.com reporter Bill Williamson, Murray will see the bulk of the workload going forward:
Last week, Tony Sparano wasn’t ready to proclaim that young running back Latavius Murraywould become the workhorse for the rest of the season.
Now it appears Murray is in line to be just that. After missing last week’s 52-0 loss at St. Louis, Murray, who missed his rookie season last year, had 76 yards on 23 carries in a win over San Francisco. He has 231 yards on 31 carries in his last three g...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
