Chiefs-Raiders: 5 things to watch in Week 18 matchup

A disappointing season for the Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) will come to an end against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-14) on Sunday. The game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the opening kickoff scheduled for 3:25 p.m. Arrowhead time. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

Kansas City is coming off a hard-fought 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Christmas night in Week 17. Despite a lineup laced with backups, the Chiefs kept the game close and had a chance to tie or win on the final possession.

On the other side of this matchup, the Raiders were dismantled at home by the New York Giants. The 34-10 defeat in Week 17 gave Las Vegas the worst record in the NFL this season, and has set them up to have the no. 1 overall draft pick in the 2026 draft.

Kansas City hammered the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 7, shutting them out to a 31-0 final. This matchup will look much different, with both teams missing key players. Here are five things to watch:

1. A heavier workload for Brashard Smith

Last week, rookie running back Brashard Smith scored his first career touchdown on a staple design for the Chiefs’ red-zone offense. He has played a limited role all season long, but the highlight-reel play could lead to more opportunities in Week 18, especially with running back Kareem Hunt (illness) missing practice all week.

Smith has primarily impacted the offense as a receiver out of the backfield, but his career high in rushes came back in the first matchup with Las Vegas. By that point, the game was out of hand, and Smith was filling in during garbage time, but he rushed for 39 yards over 14 attempts. This week should be an opportunity for the Chiefs to play him in a more traditional role in the backfield.

Undrafted rookie tight end Jake Briningstool was designated to return from the Reserve/Injured list on December 17th, but has yet to be activated. With only one game remaining, this week could give Kansas City a chance to see what he can do in live action before 2026.

Unfortunately, Briningstool was ruled out from playing on Friday’s final injury report.

Briningstool profiled as an athletic pass catcher out of Clemson, with the ability to pick up yards after the catch and make contested catches using his large frame. He drew attention during training camp before falling to injury. With the Chiefs struggling to find any consistency at the position behind Kelce, it is worth remembering Bringinstool’s name moving into the offseason.

With the season nearly over, the Chiefs should be strategic about allowing more backups to play to avoid further injuries heading into the offseason, and also give the coaching staff a chance to evaluate lesser-known players on the roster.

Starting center Creed Humprey has started 84 straight games since entering the NFL in 2021, and will likely want to improve the impressive streak to 85. However, Kansas City should quickly bring in backup Hunter Nourzad to take over snapping duties.

The same strategy should be in place for other players under contract in 2026, like left guard Kingsley Suamataia, defensive tackle Chris Jones, defensive end George Karlaftis, and linebacker Nick Bolton. They might even look to take out veterans who are slated to hit free agency, like linebacker Drue Tranquill, safety Bryan Cook, wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown.

For every player, the best outcome from Week 18 is finishing the contest healthy.

As it stands, the Chiefs will be picking in the top-10 of the NFL Draft for the first time since 2013. This is not set in stone; there are several games this week that will have implications on the franchise’s final slot.

The best pick Kansas City can secure is the eighth overall, and the lowest is the 12th-overall selection. It will be a premier pick either way.

A loss for the Raiders secures the first overall pick for them; the home team will start former first-round pick Kenny Pickett at quarterback in place of the injured Geno Smith.

The Raiders have lost 10 consecutive games dating back to the Week 7 loss in Kansas City.

Chiefs Kingdom should cheer for the other 6-10 teams— the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals— to win and help the Chiefs maintain position, or move up a slot.

Fans should also be cheering for the 7-9 teams— the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — to win and move out of the top-10.

5. What will the Chiefs do with Travis Kelce?

This could be it for the Chiefs’ future Hall of Fame tight end.

Over five career games, Travia Kelce has dominated the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, totaling 38 receptions, 465 yards, and two touchdowns. Also, Kelce caught nine passes for 93 yards during Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas roughly two years ago.

Kelce has stated he will make a retirement decision this offseason. Regardless, the perennial All-Pro is 161 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards on the season. So if this is it, and the team knows it internally, the team should give him the chance to make a Herculean effort and reach this milestone.

Greatness only comes around so often, so let’s enjoy it while we still can.