The Las Vegas Raiders took a victory lap of sorts around Arrowhead Stadium in October after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-32 for their first win in the rivalry since Jon Gruden returned as coach in 2018. Their team buses circled the stadium on their way to Kansas City International Airport for the trip home.
As the 8-1 Chiefs began preparation for Sunday night’s rematch against the 6-3 Raiders in Las Vegas, Andy Reid seemed irritated about the victory lap.
“They won the game, so they can do anything they want to do,” the Chiefs coach said on Monday. “That’s not our style.”
Later, Reid was asked whether it was more difficult for a team to play an opponent for the second time when it won the first game between the teams. Reid said no, then added, “I think they [do] or they wouldn’t have driven the bus around the stadium.”
Raiders coach Jon Gruden, asked Monday whether taking the victory lap on the bus at Arrowhead Stadium might be used as bulletin-board material this week, said: “Not really. I mean, you can find a smart-aleck bus driver in Kansas City who made some snide comments when we got on the bus. Maybe that’s why we drove around the stadium, to tick him off. You know, this is ridiculous. Next question.”
The Chiefs could go a long way toward winning a fifth straight AFC West championship by beating the Raiders on Sunday. A Las Vegas victory could signal a tight race to the end.
The game is the first since 2016 — when they tied for the division title at 12-4 — that the teams have played with so much at stake for both sides. The once-bitter rivalry has been dominated by the Chiefs in recent seasons.
Kansas City is 12-3 against the Raiders since Reid arrived as head coach in 2013 and had won five straight, four by double-digit margins, before the Las Vegas win in October.
“It’s two good football teams playing each other,” Reid said. “I don’t think either team likes the other that much, as they’ve stated before.”
ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.
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