Both of these teams are hot right now as they have each won two games in a row.  The Chiefs are coming off a bye week, so they have had two weeks to get ready for the Raiders.  The Raiders have won 10 games in a row against AFC West teams.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to try to stay really balanced offensively in this game.  They will probably come out trying to run the ball with Jackie Battle against a Raiders’ D that is giving up 113.2 yards rushing per game but only 3.9 yards per carry.  QB Matt Cassel is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly to negate the Raiders’ pretty solid pass rush.  Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston could have huge games against a Raiders’ secondary that is allowing 283.5 yards passing per game.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are starting Kyle Boller at QB this week, as Carson Palmer isn’t quite ready yet.  The Raiders are going to be very run heavy in this game with Darren McFadden and Michael Bush pounding away at the Chiefs’ D.  The Chiefs are giving up 119.6 yards rushing per game, but only 3.8 yards per carry so far this year.  The Chiefs only have five sacks this year and Tamba Hali has four of them.  That means that Kyle Boller will have time to throw the ball, but that doesn’t mean he will take advantage of it.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 20, CHIEFS 19

The Chiefs broke the seal last week in getting their first win of the season against the Vikings last weekend.  The Colts have also played better as of late, but they have not won a game yet in 2011.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Kansas City Chiefs will likely come out trying to run the ball a little bit with Dexter McCluster, Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle against a Colts’ D that is allowing 133.0 yards rushing per game but only 3.8 yards per carry.  McCluster will give the Colts’ D problems due to his speed on the edges.  The Chiefs might be getting rookie WR Jonathan Baldwin back from a broken thumb this weekend, which would give QB Matt Cassel another solid target in the passing game along with Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston.  If the Chiefs’ O-Line can keep DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis out of the backfield, Cassel should have a good game throwing the ball as the Colts are giving up 257.3 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts will be without two starters on the O-Line, including their left tackle, so the Chiefs should be blitzing as soon as they get off the team bus on Sunday.  OLB Tamba Hali is likely going to have a huge game for the Chiefs this weekend.  Colts’ QBs have been sacked 10 times already this year, and they have already lost 5 fumbles in 2011.  Colts’ QB Curtis Painter doesn’t have a lot of experience, so the Chiefs could force him into making some big mistakes with the ball.  Painter threw two long TD passes for Pierre Garcon last weekend so the Chiefs will have to pay special attention to him.  WR Reggie Wayne, WR Austin Collie and TE Dallas Clark give Painter even more weapons to throw to if he has the time to do so.  Joseph Addai and Delone Carter are solid RBs, so the defense is going to have to play honest for the Chiefs.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 17, COLTS 13

The Kansas City Chiefs showed signs of life last weekend against the Chargers.  Will they be able to keep the momentum going this weekend?  Only time will tell.  The Vikings have been leading at the half in every game this year before melting down in the second half.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs would love to get a running game going with Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster, but it’s not going to be easy.  The Vikings are only giving up 67.3 yards rushing per game and 3.1 yards per carry so far this year as they have a very solid front seven on D.  The Vikings have had trouble in the secondary as they are allowing 299.3 yards passing per game so far this year, but it’s doubtful that the Chiefs will be able to move the ball in the air consistently.  The Vikings are going to likely double Dwayne Bowe and dare the Chiefs to beat them through the air by throwing to the rest of the lousy receivers on the team.  The Chiefs are going to have to find a way to protect Matt Cassel from DE Jared Allen (4.5 sacks) and the rest of the Vikings’ D.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The Chiefs are giving up 123.0 yards rushing per game but only 3.7 yards per carry so far this year.  They are going to have to gang up on Adrian Peterson and force the Vikings to try to beat them through the air.  The Chiefs are giving up 260.3 yards per game so far this year, but the Vikings don’t have many weapons in the passing game.  I don’t see Donovan McNabb waking up this Sunday Morning with a full tank of gas all of a sudden.

PREDICTION: VIKINGS 23, CHIEFS 17

This is a bad matchup for the Chiefs.  They somehow split with the Chargers last year despite getting outyarded 823-264!  In the matchup in San Diego last year, the Chargers won 31-0 and they held the Chiefs to 67 total yards of offense!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are likely going to try to run the ball a lot in this game with Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster working against a Chargers’ D that is allowing 126.5 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry.  The Chiefs have to run the ball well if they are going to have any chance of being competitive in this game.  Matt Cassel will try to work in a passing game for the Chiefs off play action.  Chargers’ cornerback Quentin Jammer held Dwayne Bowe to 2 catches for 16 yards (8.0 avg) last season.  The Chiefs will have to get other WRs and TEs involved in the passing game to try to open up some things for Bowe down the field.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are going to come out throwing the ball this Sunday.  If the Chiefs can’t get to Philip Rivers (they have only 1 sack this year), then it’s going to be a very long day.  The Chargers are going to throw the ball down the field to Vincent Jackson and I think TE Antonio Gates is going to get a lot of passes coming his way this Sunday.  RBs Ryan Mathews (244 total yards) and Mike Tolbert (176 total yards) are both a big part of the running and passing offense for the Chargers, so the linebackers of the Chiefs need to step up this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  CHARGERS 34, CHIEFS 10

The Chiefs got ambushed at home last weekend by the Bills and they will face another tough challenge this Sunday at Ford Field against the upstart Detroit Lions.  The Lions have a much better team than the Bills do, so the Chiefs are going to have to really step up to keep this game competitive.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs would like to get back to running the football with Jamaal Charles, Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones this weekend.  To do that though, the interior of the offensive line is going to have to win battles against DTs Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams and that is not going to be easy.  The Lions also have very athletic linebackers who get to the RBs as the Buccaneers could only muster 56 yards rushing on 16 carries (3.5 ypc) last weekend.  If the Chiefs can keep Matt Cassel upright, he could have success throwing the ball as the Bucs threw for 259 yards against the Lions last weekend.  WRs Steve Breaston and Dwayne Bowe combined to only catch 4 passes for 43 yards (10.8 avg) last weekend.  If that happens again, the Chiefs are going to be in deep, deep trouble this weekend.

When the Lions have the ball:  The Chiefs have a lot to worry about this weekend.  Matt Stafford is one of he best young QBs in the NFL and they will have to get a good rush on him, or he’s going to pick apart the secondary just like Ryan Fitzpatrick did last weekend.  WRs Calvin Johnson & Nate Burleson are going to give CBs Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr fits this Sunday.  The Lions also like to throw to TEs Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler which is going to put a lot of pressure on safeties Kendrick Lewis and Jon McGraw.  Jahvid Best is really fast but he goes down pretty easy.  He will be more of a problem catching passes out of the backfield.

PREDICTION:  LIONS 27, CHIEFS 16

Now we’re going to see what head coach Todd Haley is made out of.  He played Matt Cassel and TE Tony Moeaki a lot in the last preseason game and he’s going to have to live with the consequences as Cassel cracked a rib and Moeaki tore an ACL.  Most teams don’t use the regulars much in the last preseason game.  Here is a look at the matchups this Sunday against the Bills:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs aren’t likely to be too cute offensively this Sunday.  They are likely going to feed the rock to Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones against the Bills, who had the worst running defense in the NFL last year.  The Bills changed some faces on D from last year, but they still aren’t reading to stop the Chiefs’ running game.  Matt Cassel has a cracked rib, so the Chiefs are going to be careful with him.  If the Chiefs get the running game going early, it will set up Cassel to take some shots down the field to Dwayne Bowe.  Jerheme Urban and Steve Breaston will also likely be heavily involved in the passing game for the Chiefs, starting this Sunday.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Chiefs are banking on their front seven being able to handle stopping RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller.  If that happens, Tamba Hali will be turned loose on passing downs to chase Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is playing behind a pretty awful offensive line.  The Chiefs will likely double WR Steve Johnson most of this game and dare Fitzpatrick to try to beat them by throwing the ball to guys like Roscoe Parrish, Donald Jones and Brad Smith.  That just isn’t going to work for the Bills this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 20, BILLS 14

The Chiefs aren’t getting any respect as they are a 3-point underdog this Sunday despite playing at Arrowhead Stadium where they are 7-1 on the season.  The Ravens are 5-3 on the road and they are a very battle tested playoff team so don’t look for them to be intimidated by the crowd.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs aren’t going to change for anyone.  They are going to feed the ball to Jamaal Charles & Thomas Jones against a Ravens’ D that is allowing only 93.9 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry this year.  The Chiefs should mix in some early down play action passes to try to free up Dwayne Bowe down the field.   TE Tony Moeaki is also going to be one of Matt Cassel’s favorite targets this Sunday but he often operates in Ed Reed’s zone so Cassel will have to be very careful.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are a very balanced team but the Chiefs should key on stopping Ray Rice & Willis McGahee first.  Then they need to get pressure on Joe Flacco because he’s a very solid QB when he has time to wing the ball.  Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap will all challenge the Chiefs’ secondary at some point in this game.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, CHIEFS 16

The Chiefs are 7-0 at home this year and they have won the AFC West, but, they still have something to play for this Sunday.  A win over the Raiders clinches the Chiefs the #3 seed in the AFC playoffs.  So look for the Chiefs to play hard this weekend.  The Raiders are looking to win this game so they can have their first .500 record since the 2002 season when they lost the Super Bowl to the Bucs.  The Raiders won the first matchup between these two teams in Oakland, 23-20 in O.T.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to come out running the ball with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.  They should be effective against the Raiders’ D which is allowing 134.9 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  The Raiders are a good pass rushing team as they have 40 sacks this year but if the Chiefs get the running game going that will slow the pass rush.  Plus, Matt Cassel is one of the best playaction QBs in the NFL.  Look for Cassel to be looking for Dwayne Bowe deep and Tony Moeaki on the short stuff.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are going to be running the ball a lot too.  The Chiefs will have to stop Darren McFadden and Michael Bush first and that won’t be easy as the Raiders are averaging 152.3 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  The Chiefs will need to blitz a lot in this game when Jason Campbell drops back to pass because if he has time to throw he has the speedy receivers to make the Chiefs pay.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 27, RAIDERS 24

The Chiefs will win the AFC West if they can beat the Titans and Raiders in the next two weeks at Arrowhead Stadium where they are 6-0 on the season.  The Chiefs are also pretty hot right now with 4 wins in their last 5 games.  The Titans broke a six game losing streak last weekend against the Texans.  Look for Jeff Fisher to pull out all of the stops to try to win this game as he is sitting on a hot seat.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to come out running the ball with Thomas Jones & Jamaal Charles against a Titans’ D that is allowing 114.1 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry.  The Chiefs will also take some shots down the field to Dwayne Bowe against a Titans’ D that is allowing 247.8 yards passing per game this year.  But the Titans have 38 sacks already this year and 16 interceptions so Cassel is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly without making mistakes.  That means that rookie TE Tony Moeaki could also have a big game this Sunday.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Chiefs need to go all out to stop Chris Johnson and force the Titans to throw the ball.  Then they must get after QB Kerry Collins because the Chiefs are giving up 226.5 yards passing per game.  WR Kenny Britt and Nate Washington are pretty good receivers and they will make plays down the field if Collins has time to throw the ball.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 23, TITANS 20

The Chiefs are coming off a 31-0 loss at the hands of the Chargers who won on Thursday Night cutting the Chiefs lead in the AFC West to 1/2 a game.  The Rams are also in first place in their division (tied with the Seahawks) which makes this a “must win” game for both teams.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs hope to have Matt Cassel back under center this Sunday.  That is because they would be in deep trouble if forced to start Brodie Croyle again.  Regardless of who is playing QB, the Chiefs are going to come out running the ball with Jamaal Charles.  The Rams are allowing 105.7 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so Charles should find some running room against them.  If Cassel is at QB the Chiefs will likely take some shots down the field to Dwayne Bowe against a Rams’ pass D that is allowing 228.2 yards passing per game.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Chiefs will need to go all out to stop Steven Jackson and make the Rams one dimensional.  That won’t be easy though as he runs downhill with the football.  The Chiefs will likely try to blitz rookie QB Sam Bradford in an attempt to rattle him.  Bradford spreads the ball around in the passing game which makes the Rams hard to defend as it’s not smart to try to double any of their WRs.

PREDICTION:  RAMS 21, CHIEFS 20