Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders
Arrowhead West no more? Raiders’ fast start could mean Chiefs feel less at home at Allegiant
LAS VEGAS -- — Allegiant Stadium has been called Arrowhead West almost since it opened in 2020.
The venue is awash in red when the Kansas City Chiefs visit Last Vegas each year and, at best, it feels like a neutral-site game for the Raiders. The moniker was particularly apt in February 2024 when the Chiefs occupied the Las Vegas locker room for the Super Bowl and practiced at the Raiders ' facility.
But this Sunday could be different when the two 3-0 teams face one another given Las Vegas' strong and unexpected start to the season.
"We know the Chiefs fans travel well,” Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby said. “We have to earn having the full silver and black crowd. We've won three games, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Crosby noted Raiders fans have already made their voices heard this season during games at the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans. The season opener against Miami was among the loudest Allegiant has been for a Raiders game.
So it's possible this won't be a typical game against the Chiefs when it's difficult to tell which is the home team.
Secondary market ticket seller Vivid Seats said it expects 64% of the crowd to back Las Vegas. StubHub reported, based on zip codes, that sales appear to be going to Raiders fans by a 4-to-1 ratio, though nearby Chiefs supporters could be responsible for a decent chunk as well.
The Chiefs beat Las Vegas during the first five meetings at Allegiant before losing last season's finale 14-12 when both teams played a load of backups.
It's a different situation this weekend. The Raiders, who have just one winning season since moving from Oakland, California, hope to show their start isn’t a fluke.
Kansas City is looking to take back the AFC West after losing it last season to end its nine-year dominance of the division.
"I love Chiefs fans traveling,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Its always cool to see red in the stands and ‘home of the Chiefs’ at the end of the national anthem. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a very hostile environment, going back to the Oakland Raiders days. They're playing great football, you can see it on tape. That 3-0 record is real.”
Kansas City (3-0) at Las Vegas (3-0).
When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS.
Latest odds: Chiefs by 4 1/2.
Against the spread: Chiefs 2-1; Raiders 3-0.
Last week: Chiefs beat the Dolphins 24-10; Raiders beat the Saints 35-27.
Last meeting: Raiders won 14-12 on Jan. 4 in Las Vegas.
Series record: Chiefs lead 74-55-2.
Raiders offensive line vs. Chiefs defensive front. Las Vegas' Ashton Jeanty has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 44.4% of his carries, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, for the third most in the league. The Chiefs have gotten into the backfield on 52.6% of rushes, the third highest.
— Chiefs coach Andy Reid is 6-1 at Allegiant Stadium. If Kansas City wins, he would become the all-time winningest coach at the stadium, breaking his tie with former Las Vegas coaches Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce.
— A victory would give Mahomes 99 wins in the regular season, which would tie current Raiders minority owner Tom Brady for the most for a quarterback through his first 130 games.
— Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has receptions in 194 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. It's also the longest in Chiefs history.
— Defensive tackle Chris Jones has 87 1/2 career sacks, just two behind Tamba Hali for second on the Chiefs since it became an official statistic in 1982.
— How much longer can the Raiders' Brock Bowers be called a tight end? He lined up outside on 74% of snaps Sunday at New Orleans, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Bowers, playing his first game of the season after knee surgery, caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
— Klint Kubiak is the third Raiders coach to begin his tenure 3-0. The others were John Madden in 1969 and Bill Callahan in 2002. Madden became a Hall of Famer and Callahan took the Raiders to the Super Bowl that season.
— The Raiders are the only NFL team that has not given up a point in the fourth quarter this season. The 1981 and 1982 teams also didn't allow any points in the fourth period of the first three games.
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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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