Top draft pick could be on the line for Raiders when they host the Chiefs

LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� For a game between teams with losing records to end the regular season, there is quite a bit at stake 鈥� especially for the Raiders.

Las Vegas is in next year’s draft, a potentially franchise-altering selection the Raiders would clinch with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Raiders are guaranteed at least the No. 2 choice and could get the top pick even with a victory.

That’s not at the top of coach Pete Carroll’s mind nor his players, and regardless of the outcome this weekend, there figures to be plenty of change in Las Vegas (2-14), which brings in a 10-game losing streak. That change could include Carroll after just one season in charge.

He is a noted optimist and speaks about the future of the club as if he’s going to oversee where it goes from here, and owner Mark Davis hasn’t spoken publicly about his intentions in recent weeks.

鈥淲e鈥檙e playing Kansas City. They won the freaking division for 10 years straight or whatever it is,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be fun to play them. Fun to go against (Chiefs coach) Andy (Reid). There鈥檚 no reason for us to think about anything other than playing ball. So, from the locker room, that鈥檚 what I said to them afterward, that we got one week to do something special.鈥�

This is new territory for the Chiefs (6-10), who not only have ruled the AFC West since 2016, they have appeared five of the past six Super Bowls, winning the Lombardi Trophy three times during that span as the decade’s dominant franchise.

The 67-year-old this past week, saying he plans to return next season. He’ll have to find a way to get Kansas City back into contention, and getting a healthy Patrick Mahomes back early next season will be a good place to start.

The Chiefs will have a top-15 pick in the draft to assist general manager Brett Veach in his efforts to put talent around their star quarterback.

鈥淪omething to look forward to,鈥� Reid said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not where you want to be, but it is where we are, and we鈥檝e got good people doing the picking, headed by Brett.鈥�

Third string, second start

Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun will make his second NFL start. The backup to Mahomes and former Raider Gardner Minshew, both out with torn knee ligaments, was just 13 of 22 for 66 yards with a touchdown last week against Denver, though he did make a couple of nice plays with his legs.

Oladokun got only a couple of days to prepare for the Thursday night matchup, so perhaps 11 days to get ready for Las Vegas will help.

鈥淲e鈥檒l get the normal week in of work and look forward to seeing what he does with that,鈥� Reid said. 鈥淗e did a nice job last week of getting everything together and organizing and was able to manage the game well.”

Raiders quarterback talk

An ankle injury probably will keep quarterback Geno Smith on the sideline, meaning he might have played his final game for the Raiders.

Kenny Pickett has been ahead of Aidan O’Connell on the depth chart, but Carroll said he expected both to play. Pickett will start.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that (Smith’s) going to be able to make that recovery,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淲e wish that he could, and I hate closing the door on any opportunity, but it鈥檚 going to be really hard for him.鈥�

Crosby prepares for surgery

Raiders defensive end last week, leaving the facility on Friday.

He returned on Monday, and while he still isn’t thrilled about not playing anymore this season, Crosby said on the 鈥淟et’s Go鈥� podcast with Jim Gray that he’s looking ahead to his upcoming knee surgery.

鈥淵ou can look at it as, 鈥楧amn, I got to do this again and it鈥檚 getting old,鈥欌€� Crosby said. 鈥淥r you can say, 鈥楴o, this is an opportunity. I can improve.鈥欌€�

Protecting the QB

The Chiefs expect to start Esa Pole, Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey, Mike Caliendo and Chu Godrick from left to right along the offensive line on Sunday. That would be their fifth and sixth offensive tackles and the backup right guard. And that brings the total games missed because of injuries by their starting offensive line to 35 this season.

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