Five NFL teams are unbeaten, and two of them meet at 1:25 PM PT. Nothing else on today's board pairs 3-0 teams, so by dark the AFC West will have a clear picture. Kansas City is trying to reclaim a division it lost last season after nine straight titles, and the AP reports that ticket-seller StubHub's zip-code data has Allegiant Stadium sales leaning Raiders by about 4-to-1. Las Vegas won last season's meeting 14-12 on Jan. 4, with both teams using backups.
The scoreboards are twins. Each team has scored exactly 88 points: Kansas City 31, 33 and 24, Las Vegas 27, 26 and 35. The routes are opposite. The Chiefs run for 153.3 yards a game at 5.0 a carry, led by Kenneth Walker III (65 carries, 360 yards, two touchdowns). The Raiders run at 3.2 a carry, 300 yards on 93 carries, and have leaned on Kirk Cousins, 62-of-92 for 661 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Patrick Mahomes is 67-of-98 for 812 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Walker is the unusual number. Next Gen Stats has him at 2.22 rushing yards over expected per carry (RYOE), against a league figure of +0.17, and Pro Football Reference charts 3.35 yards a carry after contact to the league's 1.92. Las Vegas has allowed 4.47 yards a carry, 22nd of 32 teams by nflverse totals. The AP adds the line-of-scrimmage version: Ashton Jeanty has been hit at or behind the line on 44.4% of his carries, third most in the league, while the Chiefs' front has reached the backfield on 52.6% of rushes, third highest.
The last six meetings averaged 37.0 combined points; this one carries a 47.5 total. Allegiant Stadium is a dome, so weather is not part of the argument.
Jalen Hurts left Chicago with a question: "Who are we?" The Eagles lost 27-7 on Monday night, gained 248 yards, 62 of them in the second half, and Hurts was sacked twice and threw an interception (AP). Philadelphia is 2-1 and a home underdog, and the AP describes a team in an "existential crisis" three games in.
The defensive numbers are the surface. The Eagles rank 13th in yards allowed and 16th in points allowed (AP), but their first two opponents, Washington and Tennessee, rank 28th and 30th in passing yards per game, and the defense has no takeaways and three sacks in three games (nflverse). Chicago's Case Keenum then lit it up. Los Angeles ranks third in passing yards per game, 295.0, and Matthew Stafford has thrown four interceptions on 67-of-111 passing. Davante Adams caught seven passes for 137 yards last week against Pat Surtain II, and Puka Nacua is expected back after missing two games.
The calendar adds context, not an edge. Philadelphia played Monday night and has five days; the Rams played Sunday night at Denver and have six, but the trip from Denver is 1,577 miles and a 1:00 PM ET kickoff is 10:00 AM on their home clock. The injury report is long on both sides: the Eagles list tight end Dallas Goedert (knee), linebacker Zack Baun (concussion) and receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle) as out, while the Rams list cornerback Jaylen Watson out and tight end Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve.
Blake Snell has faced 173 batters in nine starts, 42⅔ innings, and none has homered. His ERA is 1.90, and it is not all sequencing: Statcast puts his xERA at 2.17, with a 2.0% barrel rate allowed and an average exit velocity of 82.9 mph against him. He last pitched Sept. 26, four innings on 77 pitches, so he arrives with eight days of rest.
Atlanta's lineup is the other side. The Braves hit 62 home runs against left-handers this season with a .696 OPS in those plate appearances, 21st of 30 clubs (MLB Stats API). Los Angeles won Game 1 5-3.
Atlanta has not named a starter for Game 2 (MLB Stats API). After Saturday's bullpen game, AJ Smith-Shawver threw 53 pitches and Brent Suter 33, workload notes from box scores rather than availability reports. The forecast at Dodger Stadium is 92°F with 7 mph wind at first pitch (Open-Meteo).
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