Can Mahomes correct course vs. Raiders on Friday on TSN?
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Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have a chance for a statement win when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders in the second-ever Black Friday game.
The Chiefs (10-1) enter the game with the best record in the AFC, but they haven't looked strong in weeks.
The last time the Chiefs won by more than one score was in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, and they've had to scrape out close wins against non-playoff teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30-24 in overtime) and Carolina Panthers (30-27) in the past four weeks.
Enter the Raiders, a team the Chiefs have dominated under the Andy Reid-Mahomes era.
Kansas City beat Las Vegas on the road in Week 8 by a score of 27-20, but oddsmakers are expecting a lot stronger of a performance from the Chiefs this week, as they enter as 12.5-point favourites per FanDuel.
Mahomes has put up the best numbers of his career against the Raiders in their 13 battles.
Patrick Mahomes career numbers by opponent
| Opponent | Yards | Touchdowns | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | 3,835 | 32 | 11-2 |
| Denver Broncos | 3,771 | 20 | 13-1 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 3,060 | 26 | 9-2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1,770 | 13 | 4-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1,327 | 9 | 4-0 |
The Raiders picked up one of their two wins against the Chiefs since 2018 on Christmas Day a year ago, and added some drama to the matchup when a video surfaced early in training camp this summer of Raiders players having a laugh with a Kermit doll dressed as Mahomes.
"It's still early in the year. Stuff like that happens," Mahomes said that week when asked about the situation. "It'll get handled when it gets handled.''
Mahomes' athletic trainer simply wrote on X: "We will remember."
The Kermit doll stunt was another example of the Raiders poking the proverbial bear. In 2021, the Raiders decided to dance on the Chiefs' logo at midfield during pre-game warmups in their game on Dec. 12.
In response to that stunt, the Chiefs pummeled the Raiders 48-9.
Las Vegas hasn't provided any bulletin board material ahead of this matchup, but the Chiefs will still look to energize a team that has not looked like the best squad in the AFC.
The Chiefs rank 11th in the NFL with a point differential of +52 - the last time a Super Bowl winner finished the season outside the top 10 in point differential was the 2012 Baltimore Ravens.
Point differential ranks
| Team | Season | Point Differential | NFL Rank | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 2024 | +52 | 11 | ? |
| Chiefs | 2023 | +77 | 6 | Won Super Bowl |
| Chiefs | 2022 | +127 | 4 | Won Super Bowl |
| Rams | 2021 | +88 | 6 | Won Super Bowl |
| Buccaneers | 2020 | +137 | 4 | Won Super Bowl |
| Chiefs | 2019 | +143 | 4 | Won Super Bowl |
| Patriots | 2018 | +111 | 4 | Won Super Bowl |
| Eagles | 2017 | +162 | 1 | Won Super Bowl |
| Patriots | 2016 | +191 | 1 | Won Super Bowl |
| Broncos | 2015 | +59 | 10 | Won Super Bowl |
| Patriots | 2014 | +155 | 1 | Won Super Bowl |
| Seahawks | 2013 | +186 | 2 | Won Super Bowl |
| Ravens | 2012 | +54 | 11 | Won Super Bowl |
For his part, Mahomes is looking to flip the script and avoid playing in so many close games.
“You always want to have some blowouts. You want to be a little calmer in the fourth quarter,” said Mahomes after the game against Carolina.
“It’s all about getting better. That’s the best thing about playing in the NFL. We’ve got to just go back, learn from (Carolina), and know we have a short week against a hungry football team in the Raiders that’s coming to our house.”
Mahomes has thrown for four or more touchdowns against the Raiders four times in his career, and Black Friday's game would be a key time to achieve that feat a fifth time for the Chiefs' outlook.