The Kansas City Chiefs will return home on a short week to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday afternoon.
Here's what to know about the game.
1. Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams.
The Chiefs are set to get defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) and tailback Isiah Pacheco (ankle) back on Friday following extended absences by both players. Omenihu hasn't played since tearing his ACL during last year's AFC Championship Game while Pacheco has been sidelined since suffering his injury late in Week 2.
Kansas City will be without kicker Spencer Shrader (hamstring), however, and will instead rely on veteran Matthew Wright, who appeared in two games for the Chiefs during the 2022 season.
As for the Raiders, Aidan O'Connell will start on Friday for the first time since suffering a thumb injury in Week 7. O'Connell was placed on Injured Reserve and only returned to practice this week. Quarterback Gardner Minshew, who started the Raiders' last four games (including Week 8 vs. Kansas City) suffered a collarbone injury last week and is done for the season.
In some bad news for the Raiders, they'll be without running back Zamir White (quadricep) and a pair of starting cornerbacks in Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) and Nate Hobbs (ankle) on Friday. Tailback Alexander Mattison (ankle) is also listed as "Questionable" after missing last week's game.
2. Despite their record, the Raiders feature a talented pair of pass-catchers in tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
The Raiders are only scoring 18.7 points-per-game on average this year, but those overall results aside, the Raiders' duo of Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers will be a challenge on Friday.
Bowers is in the midst of an excellent rookie season with 74 catches for 744 yards and three touchdowns. His 74 receptions rank second in the NFL (to only CeeDee Lamb) and his 38 first-down grabs rank sixth in the league. Meyers, meanwhile, is coming off his top statistical game of the season in which he caught 10 passes for 121 yards.
The Raiders have failed to score more than 20 points in seven of their last eight games, but Bowers and Meyers remain dangerous on any given snap.
3. Turnovers have been the story of the Raiders' season in 2024.
Las Vegas is a league-worst -17 in terms of turnover margin this season, which largely explains the Raiders' struggles as a team this year. The Raiders have forced just five takeaways (a league-low) and have turned it over 22 times (a league-high). Additionally, opponents have scored a league-high 89 points off those giveaways.
It has been a consistent issue, too, as the Raiders have turned the ball over at least once in every game this season, and multiple times on six occasions.
For what it's worth, however, 14 of the Raiders' 22 giveaways this season were committed by Gardner Minshew, who won't play on Friday.
Quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who has four starts under his belt this year, has turned it over just twice. The Chiefs' defense, which has forced just one turnover over the last four weeks, will have an opportunity to add to that tally on Friday.
4. The Raiders have struggled defensively this season, but defensive end Maxx Crosby remains an elite pass-rusher.
Las Vegas owns the No. 29 scoring defense in the NFL at 28.5 points allowed on average, but despite those struggles, defensive end Maxx Crosby is still capable of wrecking an offensive gameplan.
Crosby, who has 42 pressures and 6.5 sacks this season, will face a Chiefs' offense that yielded a season-high five sacks last week, although – for the most part – Kansas City moved the ball at will against Carolina. The Chiefs came away with points on six of their eight offensive possessions, and they'll aim to do the same against a Raiders' defense that has faced the worst average starting field position (the 34.4 yard-line) of any team in the NFL this season.
One area the Chiefs will look to improve on Friday is in their red zone touchdown efficiency. Kansas City was just 2-of-5 in the red zone against Carolina, which is why the game was close in the end. The Raiders are yielding touchdowns in the red zone at a 64.3% clip, so the Chiefs' ability to take advantage of those struggles will be key.
5. A win on Friday would mark a big step toward a ninth-straight AFC West title.
The Chiefs can't clinch the division on Friday, although a win (coupled with a Miami Dolphins' loss on Thanksgiving) would secure a playoff berth for a 10th consecutive season.
A win over the Raiders would mark a big step toward a ninth-straight AFC West title, too, with a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers looming next week. In fact, if the Chiefs defeat Las Vegas on Friday, Kansas City could clinch the division title with a victory over Los Angeles the following week.
It's a big opportunity, and it all begins with Friday's matchup as the Chiefs and Raiders renew one of the great rivalries in the history of professional football.
