Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders - 2012 NFL Toilet Bowl

The Chiefs season has been about as bad as it could be, as the team is currently tied for the NFL’s worst record at 2-11. The good news for Kansas City is that its opponent, the Oakland Raiders, only has one more win than they do, and has looked almost as bad as the Chiefs this season. The official toilet bowl of the 2012 NFL season will take place this Sunday in Oakland, with kickoff at 3:25 p.m.

The Raiders relied on their passing attack in a 26-16 win earlier this season, and that will likely be the case again on Sunday. Carson Palmer has had a solid season for Oakland, throwing for 3,805 yards with 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and with the Raiders struggles in the run game, the team will need Palmer to carry them. Darren McFadden has been banged up all season, but is expected to play on Sunday. The Raiders dynamic back ran for a season-high 114 yards in the first meeting between these two, and has found a lot of success against the Chiefs over the past couple of seasons.

If the Chiefs want to win this one, they will have to feed Jamaal Charles the ball early and often. The Raiders have one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL, and Charles is having a monster season for Kansas City. Charles was only given five carries in the Chiefs’ loss to Oakland back in October, a huge mistake by the coaching staff.

Despite having a record nearly as bad as the Chiefs’, the Raiders are a better team than the Chiefs and this game is being played in Oakland. If Charles can continue to rip off some huge runs and the defense forces Palmer to turn the ball over, the Chiefs could very well steal a victory. If not, Kansas City will be one step closer to having the first pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

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Kansas City Chiefs - Oakland Raiders Preview

Throw the records out the window, because it is rivalry week in Kansas City. On Sunday, the Chiefs will host the Oakland Raiders, and kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m.

Earlier this week, Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel announced that Brady Quinn will get the start for Kansas City. Matt Cassel has recovered from the concussion he suffered against Baltimore, but Crennel feels that starting Quinn is an “impactful move to get everyone’s attention.” Basically, Crennel is looking for anything to spark a Chiefs offense that has not played well this season. Most of that is on Cassel, who has accounted for a ridiculous 14 turnovers this season and has completed only 58% of his passes. The Chiefs will have to rely on Jamaal Charles to move the ball, although that may be a tough task against the Raiders defense, which is only allowing 102 yards per game on the ground.

Defensively, the Chiefs have been incredibly inconsistent this season. At times the unit has looked great, and other times it has made bad quarterbacks look like hall-of-famers. Kansas City’s main goal will be stopping Darren McFadden; although McFadden is having a down year, he is capable of breaking a long run at any time. The Chiefs have done a good job against McFadden in the past, and the team’s top priority should be to contain the dynamic back and force Carson Palmer to beat Kansas City through the air. Palmer has thrown for only seven touchdowns this season, and can be prone to turning the ball over.

The Raiders are statistically very similar to the Chiefs – Oakland averages 19 points per game and allows 28 points per game, and Kansas City averages 17 points per game and allows 30 points per game. Both teams rely on their running backs for big plays, and that should be the difference on Sunday. If Charles gets going early, Kansas City will have a good chance to pick up its second win this season. If the Chiefs run game is ineffective and Brady Quinn is forced to make a lot of plays, the team will likely be one step closer to a top-five draft pick.

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